Keith Kellogg
Retired US Army lieutenant general; Trump administration national security official 2017–2021; special envoy for Ukraine and Russia (later Ukraine only) 2025; America First Policy Institute co-chair for American security
| Keith Kellogg
| |
|---|---|
| Image |  Kellogg in March 2025 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Retired US Army lieutenant general; co-chair of American Security, America First Policy Institute; distinguished senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations |
| Known for | Chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council and acting National Security Adviser (2017); national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence; special envoy for Ukraine and Russia (2025) |
| Education | B.A. political science, Santa Clara University; M.A. international studies, University of Kansas |
Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who held senior national security posts in both Trump administrations. In the first, he was chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council, acting National Security Adviser in 2017 and from 2018 national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence. In the second he was Assistant to the President and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, a role later narrowed to Ukraine alone, until he stepped down on 31 December 2025.[1][2] Between the army and government he held senior positions at Oracle Corporation, CACI International and Cubic Defense Applications. He is co-chair of American Security at the America First Policy Institute.[3]
Military career
The White House said in 2018 that Kellogg served in the Army from 1967 to 2003, including two tours in the Vietnam War in which he earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with "V" device and the Air Medal with "V" device. It said he commanded the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1998 and, before retiring, was director of the Command, Control, Communications and Computers Directorate under the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[1] The Council on Foreign Relations describes a 36-year military career and lists him as a lieutenant general.[4]
Business career
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Kellogg was executive vice president for mission systems at CACI International, held several senior positions at Cubic Defense Applications and was a board member of GTSI. It says he held senior roles at Oracle, including a period on leave during which he was chief operations officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, for which he received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.[4] The America First Policy Institute says that after retiring from the Army in 2003 he held "senior executive positions in the defense and technology sectors".[3] Neither source gives dates for the individual posts.
First Trump administration, 2016–2021
The Council on Foreign Relations says Kellogg was senior foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. In the administration he was chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council, and the White House's 2018 announcement said he had previously served as Acting National Security Adviser to the President.[4][1] The Guardian reported that he became acting security adviser after Michael Flynn resigned in 2017.[5]
On 23 April 2018 Vice President Pence announced Kellogg's appointment as National Security Adviser to the Vice President, while he remained an Assistant to the President. Pence said Kellogg "brings a wealth of experience in national security and foreign policy matters" and had "already been an integral part of the President's national security team".[1]
6 January 2021
On 14 December 2021 Kellogg was deposed by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He told the committee that he was in the Oval Office on the morning of 6 January 2021 when Donald Trump telephoned Pence, who was on his way to the Capitol. He said the call was on Trump's desk phone, that he heard Trump's side of it, and that Trump told Pence he had the constitutional authority to reject certain electoral votes.[6]
Asked about reports that Trump told Pence something like "You don't have the courage to make a hard decision", Kellogg said words "like you're not tough enough to make the call" were something like what he heard. Asked about the reported words "I picked the wrong man 4 years ago ... You're going to wimp out", he said he could not remember the exact words but that they were "close enough to be in the ballpark". He described Trump's demeanour during the call as "frustrated", said Trump then went back to preparing his speech, and said he had seen no friction like that between Trump and Pence in four years.[6]
America First Policy Institute
After leaving the White House Kellogg became co-chair of American Security at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), where he writes and comments on national security.[3][2]
Special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, 2024–2025
On 27 November 2024 President-elect Trump announced that he would nominate Kellogg as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Trump said Kellogg "has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration. He was with me right from the beginning!"[7] The Guardian called it a newly created role and quoted a June 2024 interview in which Kellogg told Reuters that the United States should tell Ukraine "you've got to come to the table, and if you don't come to the table, support from the United States will dry up", and tell Vladimir Putin that if he did not come to the table "we'll give Ukrainians everything they need to kill you in the field".[5]
The Kyiv Independent wrote in February 2026 that Kellogg led the negotiations on the US–Ukraine minerals deal and "repeatedly condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities in unusually blunt language". It reported that he was initially appointed envoy for both Ukraine and Russia and was later reassigned to focus only on Ukraine, and that the Kremlin reportedly objected to his taking part in peace talks.[2]
Departure
According to The Kyiv Independent, Kellogg left government on 31 December 2025 and afterwards joined AFPI. He told the paper he wanted to be "more open and free to talk about Ukraine than I was inside the government", and, when asked about speculation of a disagreement with the administration, said "None of it's true ... There's absolutely no truth to any type of friction". Asked whether Russia had tried to keep him out of the negotiations he said: "I don't think the Russians necessarily wanted me to be on that part of the team." The White House deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly, told the paper that "His departure was previously scheduled".[2] The Council on Foreign Relations lists him as a distinguished senior fellow.[4]
Positions held
| Years | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1967–2003 | US Army officer; commander, 82nd Airborne Division 1997–1998; director, Command, Control, Communications and Computers Directorate, Joint Staff | [1] |
| After 2003 (dates not given) | Senior positions at Oracle (including chief operations officer, Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraq, while on leave), CACI International and Cubic Defense Applications; board member, GTSI | [4][3] |
| 2016 | Senior foreign policy adviser, Trump presidential campaign | [4] |
| 2017 | Chief of staff and executive secretary, National Security Council; acting National Security Adviser | [1][5] |
| From April 2018 | National Security Adviser to the Vice President (also Assistant to the President) | [1] |
| 2025 | Assistant to the President and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia; later Ukraine only | [7][2] |
| From early 2026 | Co-chair, American Security, America First Policy Institute; distinguished senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations | [3][4][2] |
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The White House, Vice President Mike Pence Announces Lieutenant General (Ret) Keith Kellogg as National Security Advisor, 23 April 2018, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Tim Zadorozhnyy, Keith Kellogg says he left Trump's White House to be 'free to talk' about Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent, 4 February 2026, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 America First Policy Institute, Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Council on Foreign Relations, Joseph Keith Kellogg, Jr., expert profile, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Trump picks Keith Kellogg to serve as special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, The Guardian, 27 November 2024, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Keith Kellogg, Jr., 14 December 2021, transcript pp. 91–95 (the committee's supporting materials collection on govinfo.gov; text read from the copy on Wikimedia Commons), accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Donald J. Trump, Statement by President-elect Donald J. Trump Announcing the Nomination of General Keith Kellogg as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, 27 November 2024, The American Presidency Project, accessed 11 November 2026.