The departure of John Bolton, President Trump's third national security adviser, injects still more volatility into U.S. foreign policy, and the choice of his successor has profound implications for U.S. national security interests.
The big picture: Bolton successfully influenced U.S. withdrawals from the Iran nuclear deal, arms control treaties and international agreements, while chipping away at American commitments to multilateralism. But he had become marginalized in the White House as his hawkish approach increasingly clashed with Trump's deal-making instincts.
Context: Bolton ended up on the losing side of a growing list of policy disputes. Reports suggest the final straw came after Bolton protested proposed meetings between Trump and the Taliban and between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
- Bolton had already been sidelined from Afghanistan policy deliberations as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advanced a deal with the Taliban (though Trump ultimately called off the Camp David meeting on Saturday).
- After Iran downed a U.S. surveillance drone this summer, Bolton, long an advocate of military action, argued for a retaliatory strike. Trump approved the strike but then immediately called it off.
- While Trump has touted his warm relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a pathway to productive negotiations, Bolton condemned reports that the U.S. would consider concessions before North Korea abandons its nuclear program.
Between the lines: Perhaps most consequential, reports suggest Trump didn’t have personal chemistry with Bolton — an insurmountable hurdle in this White House. (Bolton and Trump even offered conflicting accounts of Bolton’s departure.)
What to watch: A key question is how Bolton's successor will figure into administration decision-making.
- Traditionally, the national security adviser has coordinated foreign policy across the government and developed policy options for the president. Bolton, however, rejected these functions in favor of a more public-facing and solitary role — often dispensing with interdepartmental meetings and leaving the parts of the U.S. foreign policy machinery out of sync.
- Trump could return the position of national security adviser to its more conventional role, restoring a measure of order to the foreign policy process. Alternatively, he could select a candidate who shares his “disruptor-in-chief” instincts or hails from the television commentariat.
Comments(1)
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Mr. Trump is stopping short, just firing Mr. John Bolton ( national security adviser); he needs to go further. Get rid of the special envoy to Venezuela (Elliott Abrams) who is overseeing covert operations seeking regime change and install Guaido as President. Second, condemn the opioid pharma family owners ( developers of OxyContin) whose greed has killed more than 300,00 Americans. Third, stop sponsoring Netanyahu for PM. All these men have cemeteries as a result of their aggressive behavior, greed and sickening ideas. Iraq for Bolton, Nicaragua/Venezuela for Elliott, Palestinians for Netanyahu and more than 300,000 opioid American deaths for the Sackler family. Maduro’s crime does not even come close to it. The suffering in the second-largest city (Maracaibo) from hunger, lack of medicines and essential goods is relevant in that, of all places in Venezuela, Maracaibo contributed with its natural resources to make this country super-wealthy. By the end of WW2, Standard oil (American oil corporation) was controlling 6-1/4 million acres of Venezuelan land for oil exploitation, and western Lake Maracaibo region was the king in oil production. Today is only a copy of itself due to the malign actions of John Bolton. From Venezuela to the US and any other nation in between, democracy has been tried and has always sprung back. Neither Mr. Maduro will be the last dictator in Venezuela, nor Mr. Trump, the last white supremacist to reach the White House. What more evil these ”popinjays” have to do for the world to react? The ordinary folks in Latino America will never forgive Americans for their laid-back attitude in the face of Trump starvation policies toward the Venezuelan people. Enough is enough.
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