Trump Fires Bolton from National Security Advisor Position
The Primary: President Trump fires National Security Advisor John Bolton via tweet. John Bolton disputes Trump's account and tweets that he first told the president he would like to resign.
Who? What? Why?: Bolton and Trump have butt heads over a variety of foreign policy moves, especially regarding Iran, North Korea and most recently, Trump’s efforts to sign a peace talk with the Taliban.
The Baseline: Bolton began his tenure in April of 2018, replacing H.R. McMaster. Per the NYT, Trump liked Bolton’s “cold-eyed view of national interests and sovereignty over what they both saw as a fuzzy-headed fixation on democracy promotion and human rights.” He joins a growing group of former Trump cabinet members.
From the Left: Aaron Blake of the Washington Post smells something foul in this firing. Given Bolton and Trump’s differing tellings of the “resignation,” Blake expects this will not be the end of Bolton contradicting the president.
From the Right: Tom Rogan of the Washington Examiner says Trump’s increasingly incoherent national security stance means it is imperative that he hire a new advisor as soon as possible. However, it is equally important, he argues, that the new pick isn’t a stooge to Trump, as an alternative perspective from his own is a valuable asset for a president.