Michael Anton, an influential adviser to the secretary of State, will leave his role at the department this fall, according to a senior Trump administration official and a Senate aide.
Anton, who directs the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, has been a low-profile but powerful presence with major roles on Russia, Iran and other foreign policy matters, including helping shape President Donald Trump’s still-unpublished national security strategy.
With Secretary of State Marco Rubio also serving as the national security adviser, a handful of political appointees such as Anton and Counselor Mike Needham have taken on more of the daily responsibilities of running the State Department.
Anton is expected to leave as the Trump administration wraps up writing the national security strategy, of which he is a lead author, according to the senior administration official. The official, and others, were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
It was not clear if Anton was leaving the administration altogether, or might take on another role.
The Senate aide and another person familiar with administration dynamics said that Anton had been frustrated by Office of Presidential Personnel Director Sergio Gor shooting down a number of his potential hires and officials with the Trump administration such as Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby freelancing on key issues.
Anton had tried to resign in the spring amid frustration with the foreign policy processes of the administration, but Needham refused to let him do so, according to the Senate aide and two other people familiar with the matter. The aide and one of those people said Anton was frustrated after being passed over as deputy national security adviser in the reshuffle after the departure of former national security adviser Mike Waltz.
The State Department and White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Anton and Needham also didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The senior administration official praised Anton’s contributions to the department, calling him “an incredibly trusted adviser to the secretary of State” and “trusted enough” to take a lead role in writing the strategy. Kevin Harrington, senior director of strategic planning on the NSC, is also helping lead the process, according to two other people familiar with the matter.
Anton, who served in the National Security Council in the first Trump administration, became close to Rubio and also worked with special envoy Steve Witkoff on talks with Iran over its nuclear program. He participated in the first round of talks with Russia in Riyadh in March, traveling there with Rubio, Waltz and Witkoff.
In April, Rubio tapped Anton to lead technical negotiations with Iran as the Trump administration initially looked to make a deal. The effort did not go far and was stymied after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites and the U.S. later joined those strikes.
Anton became well-known after he was revealed as the author of “The Flight 93 Election,” a controversial 2016 essay that became an intellectual rallying cry for many Trump supporters. He has also served as a fellow at the conservative Claremont Institute.
Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.
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