John Bolton’s long summer got even longer just before Labor Day weekend.
In May, President Donald Trump publicly and privately distanced himself from his hawkish national security adviser, particularly on Iran and North Korea. Every few weeks since then, the media have documented someone else—a TV personality, a retired general, a senator or two—who has the president’s ear on foreign policy and wondered why Trump has kept Bolton around at all. Then, last week, the Washington Post reported Bolton had been cut out of a briefing on the U.S. plan to end the war in Afghanistan by way of a peace deal he has opposed.
As a cruel summer turns to autumn, Bolton can take heart that many of his predecessors have spent time in the president‘s harsh glare. Some might be surprised to learn that even Henry Kissinger, who made the title “national security adviser” a household name, was in the doghouse with Richard Nixon 50 years ago.
Kissinger, as Bolton has, sought to shake up the national security bureaucracy by doing away with formal processes and developing a close partnership with the president. But when Nixon grew annoyed with Kissinger, the national security adviser struggled to refind his footing. Unfortunately, as I discovered researching for a new book on the National Security Council, the obsequious path Kissinger took on his way to getting back in Nixon’s good graces—indulging the president’s penchant for surveillance and desire to escalate the war in Vietnam—helped lead the United States down a dark and divisive path.
Bolton, who has both a longer government résumé than Kissinger and bigger policy differences with his president, now must decide what, if anything, he can do to earn Trump’s approval again. As he considers his options—and, perhaps more importantly, the fate of the country—Kissinger’s return from the cold is a cautionary tale.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he fired national security advisor John Bolton, saying on Twitter he had “disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions.”
But minutes later, Bolton in his own tweet said that he “offered to resign” Monday night, and that Trump told him, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
Either way, Bolton’s departure shocked Washington, D.C., and oil crude futures fell. Bolton is a harsh critic of Iran, and has advocated military strikes against that oil-rich nation.
“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump said in a tweet.
“I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”
The tweet was posted about 90 minutes before Bolton was expected to appear at a press briefing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Bolton’s planned appearance had been publicly announced by the White House.
About 15 minutes later, Bolton posted this tweet.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said on the air that Bolton had texted him, ” ‘Let’s be clear. I resigned.’ ”
Kilmeade added, “And I said, ‘Do you mind if I say that while we’re talking?’ and he said, ‘Yes.’ ”
Originally posted by QuirtEvans: The first president ever to have four national security advisers in his first term.
Count not those chicks. His fourth NSA has not yet hatched. Maybe I-1 will slog through his first (Goddess willing, only) term without replacing Bolton. After all, I-1 knows more about national security than anyone... along with the economy, the environment, weather, nookeeer fiziks, launchers on aircraft carriers, cancer, telecommunications infrastructure, and pretty much everything.
In the "a broken clock is right twice a day" category, Bolton was right to be outraged by the secret meeting with the Taliban @ Camp David, especially so close to the 9/11 anniversary.
Posts: 35428 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005
