Donald Trump offers national security advisor job to retired Army Lt Gen Michael Flynn

However, it was not immediately clear if Flynn accepted the post. Susan Rice is the current national security advisor

US President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Army Lt Gen Michael Flynn the role of the national security advisor, a transition official said.

However, it was not immediately clear if Flynn accepted the post, the official told CNN on Thursday.

Flynn, 57, was a top adviser and high-profile surrogate to Trump during his campaign, introducing the President-elect at rallies and serving as a top cheerleader on his hyper-active Twitter feed.

However, the retired general has a long history of controversial remarks and was fired as President Barack Obama's director of the Defence Intelligence Agency in 2014.

Flynn wrote in his 2016 book, "The Field of Fight", that he was booted from Obama's administration by "censors" who were unhappy as he told a congressional committee "that we were not as safe as we had been a few years back", CNN reported.

However, US officials said Flynn was pushed out because of his contentious management style.

Flynn's Twitter feed — regularly updated with pro-Trump comments — is another source of potential scrutiny. Flynn apologised in July after retweeting a message that bashed Jewish people.

First created in the early days of the Cold War, the job of national security advisor is seen as critical to implementing a President's worldview on the various departments and agencies involved in national security.

Famous national security advisers who made a major impact on American foreign policy have included Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft.

Susan Rice is the current national security advisor.