Deputy national security adviser to leave White House

By

The Associated Press

Dina Powell attends the CEO Roundtable on the sidelines of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2016. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell will be leaving the Trump administration early next year.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement that Powell had always planned to serve for a year before returning home to New York.

She’s expected to continue working with the administration on Middle East policy issues from outside the White House.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster says in a statement that Powell “has been an invaluable member of President Trump’s team” who “drove an effort to restore our nation’s strategic competence.”

He says: “All of us look forward to continuing to work with her, as she continues to support this Administration’s efforts on Middle East peace and other issues.”