Trump fires foreign policy hawk Bolton, citing strong disagreements

By Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly fired his national security adviser John Bolton amid disagreements with his hard-line aide over how to handle foreign policy challenges such as North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia.

 

"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," Trump tweeted on Tuesday, adding that he would name a replacement next week.

 

Bolton, a leading foreign policy hawk and Trump's third national security adviser, had pressed the president not to let up pressure on North Korea despite diplomatic efforts. Bolton, a chief architect of Trump's strident stance against Iran, had also argued against the president's suggestions of a possible meeting with the Iranian leadership and advocated a tougher approach on Russia and, more recently, Afghanistan.

 

Trump's announcement of Bolton's departure followed an acrimonious conversation on Monday night that included their differences over Afghanistan, said a source familiar with the matter.

 

The 70-year-old Bolton, who took up the post in April 2018, replacing H.R. McMaster, had also often been at odds with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, one of Trump's main loyalists.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly fired his national security adviser John Bolton amid disagreements with his hardline aide over how to handle foreign policy challenges such as North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia. Jonah Green reports.

 

Pompeo acknowledged he and Bolton often had differences but he told reporters: "I don't think that any leader around the world should make any assumption that because some one of us departs that President Trump's foreign policy will change in a material way."

 

Offering a different version of events than Trump, Bolton tweeted: "I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

 

Trump had sometimes joked about Bolton's image as a warmonger, reportedly saying in one Oval Office meeting that "John has never seen a war he doesn't like."

 

A source familiar with Trump's view said Bolton, an inveterate bureaucratic infighter with an abrasive personality, had ruffled a lot of feathers with other key players in the White House, particularly White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

 

"He (Bolton) doesn't play by the rules," the source said. "He's a kind of a rogue operator."

 

During his time at the State Department under the administration of Republican former President George W. Bush, Bolton kept a defused hand grenade on his desk. His 2007 memoir is titled: "Surrender Is Not An Option."

 

Trump's North Korea envoy, Stephen Biegun, is among the names that have been floated as possible successors.

 

"Biegun much more like Pompeo understands that the president is the president, that he makes the decisions," said a source close to the White House.

 

Also considered in the running is Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, who had been expected to be named U.S. ambassador to Russia, and Richard Grenell, U.S. ambassador to Germany, people familiar with the matter said.

 

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said "many, many issues" led to Trump's decision to ask for Bolton's resignation. She would not elaborate.

 

"HE'LL BOMB YOU"

Trump would sometimes chide Bolton about his hawkish ways in meetings, introducing him to visiting foreign leaders by saying, "You all know the great John Bolton. He'll bomb you. He'll take out your whole country."

 

Officials and a source close to Trump said the president had grown weary of his hawkish tendencies and bureaucratic battles.

 

Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Fox News television commentator, had opposed a recent State Department plan to sign an Afghan peace deal with the Taliban militia, believing the group's leaders could not be trusted.

 

Among the points of contention was Trump's intention - called off by the president at the last minute - to bring Taliban leaders to the Camp David presidential retreat last weekend to finalise an accord just days before the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

 

Sources familiar with his view said Bolton believed the United States could draw down to 8,600 troops in Afghanistan and maintain a counter-terrorism effort without signing a peace deal with the Taliban.

 

U.S. officials have said it was Bolton who was responsible for the collapse of a summit in February between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi by recommending a list of hard-line demands that Kim rejected.

 

North Korea media in May referred to Bolton as a "war maniac" who "fabricated various provocative policies such as designation of our country as 'axis of evil', preemptive strike and regime change."

 

Bolton's departure - the latest in a series from Trump's national security team in recent months - comes a day after North Korea signalled a new willingness to resume stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States, but then continued with a recent spate of missile launches.

 

U.S. oil prices fell more than 1 percent on the news of Bolton’s departure, with investors believing it could lead to a softer U.S. policy on Iran.

 

Bolton had spearheaded Trump's policy against Iran, including the U.S. abandonment of an international nuclear deal with Tehran and reimposition of U.S. sanctions.

 

Bolton was widely believed to have favoured a planned U.S. air strike on Iran earlier this year in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, an action Trump called off at the last minute. Trump has since expressed a willingness to talk to Iranian leaders under the right conditions, something Bolton is known to have opposed.

 

An adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Trump's firing of Bolton pointed to the failure of Washington's "maximum pressure strategy in the face of the constructive resistance of Iran."

 

Bolton, a longtime harsh critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was also against Trump's insistence that Moscow be allowed to rejoin the Group of Seven world powers despite its continued occupation of Ukraine's Crimea.

 

Bolton was an ardent opponent of arms control treaties with Russia. He was instrumental in Trump's decision to withdraw last month from a 1987 accord that banned intermediate-range missiles because of what Washington charged was Moscow's deployment of prohibited nuclear-capable cruise missiles, an allegation Russia denied.

 

Bolton, an unabashed advocate of U.S. power, has sharply criticized international institutions like the United Nations.

 

Last year, he said the United States would ban and prosecute officials of the "unaccountable" International Criminal Court if the court moved to bring war crimes charges against any American who served in Afghanistan or launched cases against Israel or other U.S. allies.

 

While Trump and Bolton appeared mostly in sync about efforts to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power, Trump had grown increasingly impatient about the failure of a U.S. campaign of sanctions and diplomacy to unseat the socialist leader.

 

(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Arshad Mohammed, David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Landay, Jeff Mason, Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Matt Spetalnick,; Editing by Mary Milliken, Alistair Bell and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-11

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Once in a blue moon he does something right. But curb your enthusiasm. 

Stepped in the <deleted>, scraped it off his shoe, but that awful smell still lingers.

 

This will be seen by the international community as a positive step away from military engagements...more countries may engage in productive peace talks with Bolton removed...

Fired quit who cares guess he wasent enough of a tody so who is going to be(acting)besides donald

Good news.

 

But if the criticism is he was rogue, why is this president still here?

Back to Chasing Classic cars for this Wayne Carini lookalike in his retirement....

Edited September 11, 20196 yr by APJ291

In this week's edition of "The Best People"...

 

 

Trump loves to fire his followers.

Revolving door of Trump appointees. Been said many times already but it's time to look the mirror Mr President for the cause is this problem. Of course that will never happen as he is a walking talking perfect example of the Ultimate Narcissist!

As The Mooch now admits, eventually Trump turns on everyone. Wait...Pence as Trump's running mate will be next!

Trump loves to fire his followers.

Reached peak TDS yet? 

So what is the big deal? 

Trump fires Mattis and look what happens? 

Mattis defends him the other day and drops Obama in the <deleted>. 

TDS is a terrible affliction, boys... 

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Once in a blue moon he does something right. But curb your enthusiasm. 

Ok, Bolton is an despicable hate spewing senile old man. No one is getting that excited, just a belly laugh. 

 

I just like the turnover. The revolving door of anyone with a pulse. Get a homeless person in there. Take him off the streets of DC and give him a job. Trump would score some votes showing he cares about the have nots of society, plus could a homeless meth head screw it up anymore?!

I think not. 

8 minutes ago, jerojero said:

Wait...Pence as Trump's running mate will be next!

 

Nick Haley is rumored, and it's said she's lobbying for VP, but can't see it. She's widely rumored to have penned that anonymous NYT op-ed, and the president has bragged to friends that Ms. Haley gave a good "oral" argument, aka the Monica Lewinsky, in the Oval Office, and that got back to her.

 

He'll dump Pence for Season 2, assuming it can be done with the usual style and flair. In the meantime, Pence will turn the obsequiousness up to 11, and occasionally remove his lips from the president's backside.

 

 

Hopefully one day soon Trump get's fired himself by impeachment ...

Really good news. That guy was a war loving hawk and the world is safer without him around.

14 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Reached peak TDS yet? 

So what is the big deal? 

Trump fires Mattis and look what happens? 

Mattis defends him the other day and drops Obama in the <deleted>. 

TDS is a terrible affliction, boys... 

Ha ha you mean trump delusion syndrome that’s when you actually belive his bs lol

Interesting, now Trump is looking for a 'Yes' man for that position. If Trump gets in a person that always agrees with him, then why ask for advice ? 

2 minutes ago, Tug said:

Ha ha you mean trump delusion syndrome that’s when you actually belive his bs lol

 

Agreed.

 

No clue why supporters like using a phrase which includes Trump and Delusion? And then make it sound oddly clinical by adding "Syndrome"?

 

So everytime they say it it sounds like they think Trump is delusional. OK. awesome phrase, please use it all the time.

 

This would be considered a Brand or Marketing FAIL.

 

Who came up with this phrase? I'm thinking it's Doocy/Kilmeade level stoopid. 

 

DDS maybe , Dem Delusion Syndrome?

 

And what does it have to do with Trump firing Season 1 "Apprentice" Nat Sec Advisor #3?

 

Flynn, Kellogg (Acting), McMaster, Bolton, Kupperman (Acting), Phil N. deBlank (TBD)

 

Calls out to Central Casting. They'll need a whole season just for National Security Advisors.

 

I say bring in Meatloaf AND Gary Busey and let them duke it out for the job?

I was watching a two-part documentary the other day called China A New World Order, and it struck me how similar Xi Jin Ping and Donald Trump are.  Apart from the red "Make America Great Again" caps - I'm sure Xi's policy is "Make China Great Again" - it seemed to me that the only difference between the two is Twitter

Edited September 11, 20196 yr by ThaiBunny

I was watching a two-part documentary the other day called China A New World Order, and it struck me how similar Xi Jin Ping and Donald Trump are.  Apart from the red "Make America Great Again" caps - I'm sure Xi's policy is "Make China Great Again" - it seemed to me that the only difference between the two is Twitter

For the record “ China A New World Order” is a 3 part documentary


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump had sometimes joked about Bolton's image as a warmonger, reportedly saying in one Oval Office meeting that "John has never seen a war he doesn't like."

What an utter nasty piece of dog excrement.

Quotes;

# Bolton was a supporter of the Vietnam War, but purposely avoided military service in Vietnam.

# He wrote in his Yale 25th reunion book: "I confess I had no desire to die in a Southeast Asian rice paddy. I considered the war in Vietnam already lost."^[37] In a 2007 interview, Bolton explained his comment in the reunion book saying his decision to avoid service in Vietnam was because "by the time I was about to graduate in 1970, it was clear to me that opponents of the Vietnam War had made it certain we could not prevail, and that I had no great interest in going there to have Teddy Kennedy give it back to the people I might die to take it away from."

 

Utter scum bag war mongerer.

Never seen broken bodies and flesh and death, and the stench of war, but loved advocating it.

Weasel.

Coward.

Scum.

25 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

I was watching a two-part documentary the other day called China A New World Order, and it struck me how similar Xi Jin Ping and Donald Trump are.  Apart from the red "Make America Great Again" caps - I'm sure Xi's policy is "Make China Great Again" - it seemed to me that the only difference between the two is Twitter

The differences are Xi has a long term vision and the power to implement that vision. Trump aspires the same power but lacks vision.

Just now, stevenl said:

The differences are Xi has a long term vision and the power to implement that vision. Trump aspires the same power but lacks vision.

 

So, other than "Dictator Envy" they're completely different.

 

Agree, there's a lot more difference than just "twitter".

 

 

 

 

Trump would sometimes chide Bolton about his hawkish ways in meetings, introducing him to visiting foreign leaders by saying, "You all know the great John Bolton. He'll bomb you. He'll take out your whole country."

And that communicates the President of the United States to visitors of foreign nations?
Incredible.
This corresponds to the mentality of a 12 year, before pubescent, old child on the school playground looking for trouble.
If that's true, another clear indication of the unfitness as President.

Interesting that it is not signed in Sharpie?

 

 

11 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So, other than "Dictator Envy" they're completely different.

 

Agree, there's a lot more difference than just "twitter".

 

 

 

 

Agree, take a good look at Mr. Xi's past history, an intelligent caring and balanced man.

50 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Agreed.

 

No clue why supporters like using a phrase which includes Trump and Delusion? And then make it sound oddly clinical by adding "Syndrome"?

 

So everytime they say it it sounds like they think Trump is delusional. OK. awesome phrase, please use it all the time.

 

This would be considered a Brand or Marketing FAIL.

 

Who came up with this phrase? I'm thinking it's Doocy/Kilmeade level stoopid. 

 

DDS maybe , Dem Delusion Syndrome?

 

And what does it have to do with Trump firing Season 1 "Apprentice" Nat Sec Advisor #3?

 

Flynn, Kellogg (Acting), McMaster, Bolton, Kupperman (Acting), Phil N. deBlank (TBD)

 

Calls out to Central Casting. They'll need a whole season just for National Security Advisors.

 

I say bring in Meatloaf AND Gary Busey and let them duke it out for the job?

Remember appearances matter bigly to POTUS. All form over substance.  He prefers tall (not Bolton or Yellen), male (again not Yellen) and certainly no mustache. Bald seems to be okay (Putin), but not obese (Christie) although Pompeo seems to have gotten a pass on that one.

1 hour ago, BobBKK said:

Really good news. That guy was a war loving hawk and the world is safer without him around.

Yes he was , it was common knowledge , which begs the question , why was he appointed in the first place ?

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Reached peak TDS yet? 

So what is the big deal? 

Trump fires Mattis and look what happens? 

Mattis defends him the other day and drops Obama in the <deleted>. 

TDS is a terrible affliction, boys... 

Mattis, hardly, defended trump. All he offered was that he had differences of opinion (Syria was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back) but would not criticize a sitting POTUS. He did say that, in future (i.e., post-trump presidency), he would be free to be more forthcoming. TDS is what trump supporters use to describe those who see through the bullying con artist, egotist, who is thrice married, an admitted adulterer (once, when a wife was pregnant) with porn stars, among others, and has not hidden his attraction to his own daughter. What a great representative of a reputable, honorable, respectful christian individual. BTW, still waiting for that beautiful health insurance plan, infrastructure plan, middle class tax cut (oh, sorry, that was only to influence the 2018 mid-terms), Mexico's payment for the infamous wall that is now coming out of the US military's budget. TDS=trump delusional syndrome.