WASHINGTON (AP) – The photo from inside Donald Trump’s makeshift situation room at Mar-a-Lago affirmed what White House insiders have recognized for some time – that Dina Powell has quietly established herself as a White House power.
Though sandwiched between other administration officials, the deputy national security adviser stands out as the only woman among 13 staffers in the room on the night the president ordered the missile attack in Syria.
And in a White House that is split between outsider ideologues and more traditional operators, Powell is viewed as a steady force in the growing influence of the latter. A newer addition to the team, her West Wing experience, conservative background and policy chops have won over Trump’s daughter and son-in-law. Now, Powell is at the table as the president turns more of his attention to international affairs, attempting to craft a foreign policy out of a self-described “flexible” approach to the world.
“No one should ever underestimate Dina Powell.” says Brian Gunderson, a former State Department chief of staff. He hired her to work in former House Majority Leader Dick Armey’s office early in her career and later worked with her in George W. Bush’s White House.
Powell, 43, declined comment for this story.