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President Donald Trump tapped his chief hostage negotiator Robert C. O'Brien to be his new national security adviser on Wednesday. O'Brien is replacing John Bolton, who was abruptly ousted from the position last week. He'll be the fourth person to serve in the role.

O'Brien captured headlines earlier this summer when Trump sent him to Sweden to monitor rapper A$AP Rocky's trial for assault charges after a brawl in Stockholm. Now he's confronted with an escalating crisis on Iran.

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President Trump's brand-new national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, will inherit a National Security Council struggling to attract talent, current and former U.S. officials tell NPR.

The National Security Council is traditionally one of the most desirable places for ambitious and talented people to work in the U.S. government, because it affords such close proximity to power. But in the Trump administration, some of the government's brightest minds are turning down high-powered NSC assignments, and others are avoiding the place altogether.

Career foreign policy professionals increasingly fear that joining the NSC, which is part of the White House, will taint them as political operatives.

"There is a school of thought that it can be risky for your career — sometimes being there puts you in a position where you have to say no to ambassadors and other senior officials, and they may remember that when you return," said one senior foreign policy official who turned down an offer to serve at the NSC.

It's a stunning reversal for jobs that once offered unparalleled credentials.

Openings for temporary assignments that in previous administrations would have drawn two dozen applications and inquiries are now getting minimal interest, the officials said.

NPR interviewed 12 current and former U.S. officials with knowledge of the NSC's challenges. Most have served both in the Trump administration and past administrations. Many declined to be publicly identified for fear it would endanger their careers and professional relationships.