K. T. McFarland
Kathleen Troia McFarland (born Kathleen M. Troia; July 22, 1951) is an American political commentator, civil servant, author, and former political candidate.
K. T. McFarland | |
|---|---|
| 28th United States Deputy National Security Advisor | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – May 19, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Avril Haines |
| Succeeded by | Ricky L. Waddell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kathleen M. Troia July 22, 1951 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Alan McFarland |
| Children | 3, including Fiona |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) St Anne's College, Oxford (BA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( PhD(c)) |
McFarland began her political career in the 1970s as a night-shift typist and assistant press liaison for National Security Council staff. In the 1980s, during the Reagan administration, she worked in the Department of Defense as a speechwriter and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. In 2006, she ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in New York.
McFarland served as Deputy National Security Advisor under Michael Flynn in 2017 during the Donald Trump administration. She was asked to step down by Flynn's successor, H. R. McMaster, in April 2017, and was then nominated by Trump to the post of U.S. Ambassador to Singapore. McFarland removed her name from consideration for the ambassadorship in February 2018 due to concerns about her answers to questions related to links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies.
McFarland frequently appears on Fox News and has written three books.