Trump fired Bolton because he wasn’t getting along with Kim
Don TinyShoes is mad at Bolton. Of course he is – whose idea was it to hire him anyway?!
President Trump addressed the reasons behind John Bolton’s removal as national security adviser on Wednesday, telling reporters that Bolton “made some very big mistakes” and was “not getting along with people in the administration.”
…
“He sat right in that chair and I told him, ‘John … you’re not getting along with people and a lot of us, including me, disagree with some of your tactics and some of your ideas and I wish you well but I want you to submit your resignation.’ And he did that.”
— Trump today in the Oval Office
What he’s saying: Trump repeatedly condemned Bolton’s suggestion (more than a year ago) that the U.S. pursue the “Libya model” for the denuclearization of North Korea.
- North Korea reacted furiously at the time. That’s unsurprising, given Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed in an uprising a decade after ending his nuclear program.
- “What a disaster using that to make a deal with North Korea,” Trump said. “I don’t blame Kim Jong-un. … He wanted nothing to do with John Bolton.”
Well ok then! We definitely want to hire people in conformity with the wishes of Kim Jong-un!
The big picture: Trump seemed to bristle at the idea that Bolton was the muscle behind his foreign policy, referring to him dismissively as “Mr. Tough Guy” and noting his support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- Trump claimed a number of qualified candidates had expressed interest in the job and that an announcement would come next week. Earlier Wednesday, Axios reported a list of candidates that Trump is considering.
The bottom line: Trump said he hoped he and Bolton “left in good stead,” but added: “Maybe we have and maybe we haven’t.”
Wut?
What is “good stead” exactly? Maybe we have and maybe we haven’t what? Who are you? What time is it? Where are we going?
H/t Acolyte of Sagan HOLMS I meant Holms
” Who are you? What time is it? Where are we going?”
Maybe more importantly – who’s drivin’ ?
Kevin Drum at Mother Jones pointed out that it’s hard for Trump to find foreign policy advisors he likes, because Trump has two overarching principles in foreign policy:
1. A desire to appear tough.
2. A desire to cut deals, even with the worst of the worst – in fact, especially with them, because that means he’s the best dealmaker ever!
Those aren’t inherently contradictory — Nixon going to China and all that — but for the last several decades the GOP has treated them as such. Can’t sign a deal with our enemies, our enemies must be crushed! So any foreign policy operative with enough credibility in GOP circles is going to clash with Trump on #2, and anyone compatible with him on #2 is likely to be seen as a weak squish by the GOP.
Not sure why I deserve the H/T here.
leafs through comments with puzzled frown
Oh, I see it – I swapped you for Holms somehow. Sorry Holms.