U.S. President Donald Trump forced out John Bolton as his national security adviser on Tuesday. The president says they had strong disagreements on several policy issues.
Trump tweeted that he told Bolton Monday night his services were no longer needed at the White House. He later said that Bolton offered his resignation Tuesday morning.
Trump added that he "disagreed strongly" with many of Bolton's suggestions, "as did others in the administration."
Former national security adviser John Bolton talking to reporters outside the White House last May. He resigned Tuesday, September 19, 2019.
Bolton answered in a tweet of his own that he offered to resign Monday and that “President Trump said, 'Let's talk about it tomorrow.'"
Bolton's ouster came as a surprise to many White House employees. Just an hour before Trump's tweet, the press office reported that Bolton would join Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a briefing.
Bolton was always an unlikely choice to be Trump's third national security adviser. The official’s ideas seemed to conflict the president's "America First" position.
Bolton has supported a strong military-centered position in foreign policy since the 1980s when he served under President Ronald Reagan. He became known for his support for the Iraq War as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush.
Bolton briefly considered becoming a presidential candidate in 2016, partly to argue against the isolationist position of then-candidate Trump.
In the Trump administration, Bolton called for careful dealing with the growing relationship between the United States and North Korea. He planned a quiet campaign inside the administration and with U.S. allies to persuade Trump to keep U.S. forces in Syria.
Most recently Bolton reportedly opposed Trump’s offer to meet for peace talks with leaders of Afghanistan’s Taliban. On Monday, the administration announced it had cancelled the meeting.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
isolationist – adj. someone who supports a policy of remaining apart or separate from the interests of other groups
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