John Bolton
John Bolton | |||
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Former National Security Advisor From: April 9, 2018 – September 10, 2019 | |||
Predecessor | H.R. McMaster | ||
Successor | Robert C. O'Brien | ||
Former United States Ambassador to The United Nations From: August 2, 2005 – December 31, 2006 | |||
President | George W. Bush | ||
Predecessor | John Danforth | ||
Successor | Zalmay Khalilzad | ||
Information | |||
Party | Republican | ||
Spouse(s) | Christine Bolton (div.) Gretchen Smith | ||
Religion | Lutheran[1] | ||
Military Service | |||
Allegiance | United States | ||
Service/branch | United States Army | ||
Service Years | 1970 – 1976 |
John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948, age 76) is a neocon who was surprisingly picked to serve for a brief time as the National Security Advisor in the Trump Administration despite obvious ideological disagreements; apparently his appearances on the generally neoconservative Fox News Channel got him the job until he was inevitably fired for constantly advocating for war as neocons do. Bolton was also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and is best known for his interim appointment to United States ambassador to the United Nations in 2005 and 2006, made necessary by intense liberal opposition to his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He also served in a number of other political positions in the Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II administrations in the State Department, Justice Department, and the USAID.
Bolton is credited for persuading President George W. Bush for rescinding and thereby completely withdrawing the United States from the International Criminal Court, after President Bill Clinton had signed the U.S. up for that globalist court. On September 10, 2018, as National Security Advisor, Bolton announced that the U.S. would prosecute and sanction any judges or prosecutors in the ICC who took action against investigated Americans soldiers.
Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff has criticized Bolton for his "lack of credibility".[2] Bolton has spread fake news by claiming, without evidence, that Trump approved of detention camps for Uyghurs;[3] Trump having been the first US President to recognise the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the CCP against the Ughurs as a genocide (see Uyghur genocide).
Contents
Biography
Bolton had several diplomatic achievements throughout his career. At the United Nations in 1991, John Bolton overturned the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 adopted in 1975 that condemns Zionism to be "a form of racism and racial discrimination." In the Bush Administration, he opposed the International Criminal Court and negotiated Article 98 agreements with, ultimately, over 100 countries to ensure Americans would not be prosecuted by the court. Also during the Bush Administration, Bolton played a key role in establishing the Proliferation Security Initiative. In addition to working at the AEI, Bolton served as the chairman of the Gatestone Institute and served with other organizations such as the National Rifle Association.
Bolton has clashed with both the State Department[4] and intelligence agencies,[5][6] both of which are major organs of the deep state. Despite this, he has advocated deep state positions on numerous occasions.
President Donald Trump appointed Bolton as his national security advisor in 2018,[7] replacing globalist H.R. McMaster. He took office on April 9, 2018. As national security advisor, Bolton defended U.S. sovereignty against international organizations such as the ICC.[8] He played a role in withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal.[9] Bolton was able to accomplish several other America First goals.[10] However, despite this, he has openly sided with the deep state on some issues. President Trump fired Bolton on September 10, 2019.[11] Since then, Bolton has publicly trashed Trump's foreign policy, and some speculate he may have been one of the sources for the anonymous whistleblower complaint regarding Trump's conversations with Ukrainian officials.[12][13]
On November 22, 2019, Bolton returned to Twitter, not having posted since the day of his firing. He accused Trump of attempting to silence him by suppressing his private Twitter account.[14]
Some have criticized him for his foreign policy stances: for example, national conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson has claimed that, "John Bolton has always been a snake."[15]
Political views
Bolton strongly opposes the Iran nuclear deal, signed and supported by the Obama Administration.[16]
Bolton has taken an extremely hypocritical approach to the issue of sovereignty. While strongly supporting American sovereignty at home,[17] criticizing globalism by name and calling himself a "convinced Americanist",[18] Bolton's extreme pro-war stance has proven that he has virtually zero respect for the sovereignty of other nations.
Bolton opposes the European Union and supports Brexit.[19] Although he has publicly claimed that his positions relate to the EU's contempt for national sovereignty and self-governance, as well as its promotion of left-wing policies,[20][21] it is much more likely that his true motivation for opposing the EU is its potential challenge to global American geopolitical hegemony.
Bolton is relatively moderate-to-liberal on social issues, supporting abortion in certain instances and supporting same-sex "marriage".[22] He has criticized the International Criminal Court as a threat to U.S. sovereignty.[23] He considers himself a hawkish libertarian, one who supports the concept of national sovereignty.[24]
Despite the fact that he disagrees with neocons on several issues,[25] Bolton's rabid pro-interventionist positions have rightfully earned him the label of "neocon" from many conservatives.
Among other things, Bolton has, during his tenure as National Security Adviser alone:
- Supported left-wing individuals or groups against enemy regimes, such as the Kurdish YPG, Juan Guaido, and the MEK.[26][27][28][29][30]
- Committed public acts of insubordination against President Trump when doing so suits an interventionist agenda, such as among other things (A) calling Russian president Vladimir Putin a liar and supporting arming Ukraine to fight the Russian-backed separatist militias that seized territory in the country's east;[31] (B) Contradicting Trump's official statements on Syria;[32] and (C) causing damage to Trump's negotiation efforts with other countries by making hawkish statements;[33][34][35]
- Made false statements regarding the presence of deep state, globalist, and neoconservative influences among President Trump's staff, having claimed that reports of disunity and insubordination are part of a foreign conspiracy.[36]
- Supporting a socialist as an alternative to Marxist dictator Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela.[37]
The "Grace 1" incident
According to Gareth Porter of The American Conservative, in May 2019 Bolton may have abused his power by using his position to unilaterally pressure Panama's National Security Council into withdrawing Panamanian flag status for the Iranian cargo ship Grace 1 while it was in the middle of a voyage, thus making unavoidable the ships confrontation with and subsequent (and illegal) seizure by the British navy in the Strait of Gibraltar, which is international waters.[38] This incident was likely an effort to provoke a war between Iran and the United Kingdom, which in turn would be used as justification for American military intervention.
Trump impeachment
- Main article: Trump impeachment
As the Democrats partisan impeachment of President Trump foundered, Democrats and the liberal media pinned their hopes on the credible testimony of Bolton. Previously fake news media had this to say of Bolton:
John Bolton has been one of liberals’ top bogeymen on national security for more than a decade now. He seems to relish the role, going out of his way to argue that the Iraq War wasn’t really a failure, calling for U.S.-led regime change in Iran and preventive war against North Korea, and writing the foreword for a book that proclaimed President Obama to be a secret Muslim. He is a profoundly partisan creature, having started a super-PAC whose largest donor was leading Trump benefactor Rebekah Mercer [owner of Breitbart ] and whose provider of analytics was Cambridge Analytica, the firm alleged to have improperly used Facebook data to make voter profiles, which it sold to the Trump and Brexit campaigns, among others.
Recently Bolton’s statements have grown more extreme, alarming centrist and conservative national-security professionals along with his longtime liberal foes. He seemed to say that the United States could attack North Korea without the agreement of our South Korean allies, who would face the highest risk of retaliation and casualties; just two months ago he called for a regime change effort in Iran that would allow the U.S. to open a new embassy there by 2019, the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution and the taking of Americans hostage in Tehran. His hostility toward Islam points toward a set of extreme policies that could easily have the effect of abridging American Muslims’ rights at home and alienating America’s Muslim allies abroad.[39]
No less a NeverTrumper and contemporary liberal icon George W. Bush deemed Bolton a less than credible witness.[40]
Bolton has attempted to publish a book which contains classified information.[41] In his book, Bolton criticized Congressional Democrats for focusing only on Ukraine during the impeachment proceedings, citing other alleged acts of misconduct by the President.[42]
Although Bolton has stated that he will not vote for Joe Biden, he has also implied that a Biden presidency would be preferable to a second term for Donald Trump.[43][44]
Coup Plotter
In July 2022, Bolton admitted during a CNN interview that he has been directly involved in the plotting of at least coup. When asked to elaborate by Jake Tapper, Bolton didn't go much further, although he did briefly mention the failed coup attempt against Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela which took place in April 2019. These remarks earned widespread criticism on both sides of the political spectrum, with Rand Paul in particular tweeting that one of his "proudest moments" was blocking efforts to get Bolton appointed as Trump's Secretary of State.[1][2] Bolton in turn responded by referring to his critics as "snowflakes."[3]
External Links
References
- ↑ John Bolton 2016: 8 Facts About Personal Life of Potential GOP Presidential Hopeful
- ↑ https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1222679409053880320
- ↑ Trump signs Uyghur law amid accusations he approved of China’s detention camps
- ↑ Mitchell, Ellen (March 24, 2018). Five things to know about new Trump adviser John Bolton. The Hill. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ Trump pick John Bolton has history of clashing with U.S. intelligence community. PBS. March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ Landay, Jonathan; Strobel, Warren (March 23, 2018). Trump's new security adviser known for clashes with spy agencies. Reuters. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ Shaw, Adam (March 23, 2018). Trump's pick of Bolton for national security adviser brings a bulldog to the White House. Fox News. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ↑ Boylan, Dan (September 10, 2018). Bolton bolsters Trump's 'America first' foreign policy with robust defense of U.S. sovereignty. The Washington Times. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
See also:- Mills, Curt (September 14, 2018). The Rise of John Bolton. The National Interest. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ↑ Holland, Steve; Mason, Jeff; Landay, Jonathan (October 4, 2018). Bolton 2.0: Trump's tough guy on Iran picks his battles. Reuters. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ Nissenbaum, Dion (November 18, 2018). Much of Bolton’s Policy Agenda Predates Trump’s Priorities. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
See also:- Nissenbaum, Dion (November 18, 2018). John Bolton Energizes Trump’s Agenda—And His Own. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- Tobin, Jonathan S. (June 5, 2019). Foreign Policy Elites Want To Dump John Bolton, But Trump Shouldn’t Fall For It. The Federalist. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- ↑ Multiple references:
- Singman, Brooke (September 10, 2019). Trump ousts National Security Adviser John Bolton, says they 'disagreed strongly' on policy. Fox News. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Caplan, Joshua (September 10, 2019). Trump Says He Has Fired John Bolton as National Security Advisor. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Taylor, Guy; Howell, Tom (September 10, 2019). John Bolton out as national security adviser, Trump tweets services no longer 'needed'. The Washington Times. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Bender, Michael C.; Salama, Vivian (September 10, 2019). John Bolton Ousted by Trump as National Security Adviser. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Byas, Steve (September 10, 2019). Neoconservative John Bolton’s Ouster a Positive for America. The New American. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- What The Firing Of John Bolton Means For The Deep State. The New American. September 12, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Buchanan, Patrick J. (September 13, 2019). After Bolton, Trump Goals Remain Unrealized. The New American. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- Salama, Vivian; Coles, Isabel (September 10, 2019). Bolton’s Departure Removes a Counterweight to Trump’s Foreign Policy. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Pollak, Joel B. (September 10, 2019). Pollak: Bolton Exit Brings Change on North Korea, Afghanistan, Russia; Not Iran, Venezuela, China. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Lemire, Jonathan; Miller, Zeke; Riechmann, Deb (September 11, 2019). Inside Bolton’s exit: Mongolia, a mustache, a tweet. Associated Press. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
- Gardiner, Nile (September 11, 2019). Why Trump will Miss John Bolton. The National Interest (from The Daily Signal). Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/john-boltons-revenge-tour/
- ↑ https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2019/10/01/john-bolton-source-whistleblower/
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/bolton-claims-white-house-blocked-his-access-to-twitter-account-11574462361
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q61DOWIZeUA
- ↑ Riehl, Dan (August 31, 2017). Bolton: Iran Agreement a ‘Disaster’; Work to Get Out ‘Needs to Be Done Now’. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ↑ Bolton, John R. (February 2, 2009). The Coming War on Sovereignty. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Bolton, John R. (April 4, 2000). Should We Take Global Governance Seriously? Chicago Journal of International Law. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Multiple references:
- Friedman, Victoria (September 2, 2017). Former U.S. Ambassador: ‘Brexit Is a Dagger Pointed at the Heart of the EU’, Predicts Quick U.S.-UK Trade Deal. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- John Bolton: Brexit Victory Is a True Populist Revolt. Breitbart News. June 24, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- Trump adviser Bolton says British establishment failing on Brexit. Reuters. March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- Lane, Oliver JJ (March 20, 2019). Trump National Security Advisor Bolton: ‘When Will Political Class Deliver Brexit Vote?’. Breitbart News. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- Friedman, Victoria (March 29, 2019). John Bolton: Trump ‘Eager for the Will of the British People to Be Carried Out’. Breitbart News. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ↑ Schumacher, Elizabeth (March 23, 2018). John Bolton: The conservative hawk tapped by Trump. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Bolton, John (October 27, 2010). AMB. JOHN BOLTON: A Stark Choice Between European Model Or the American Way. Fox News. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Freiburger, Calvin (March 23, 2018). Planned Parenthood boos Trump’s new security adviser John Bolton. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Bolton, John (November 20, 2017). The Hague Aims for U.S. Soldiers. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ Welch, Matt (March 23, 2018). My Conversations with John Bolton. Reason. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- ↑ Rogan, Tom (April 10, 2018). John Bolton: A complex worldview that just might work for Trump. Washington Examiner. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ↑ Martel, Frances (March 25, 2018). Martel: in John Bolton, Kurds Finally Get an Ally in the Trump Administration. Breitbart News. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ↑ MEE Staff (February 19, 2015)Christian foreign fighters deserting Kurdish YPG in Syria because they're 'damn Reds's. Middle East Eye. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ Heavey, Susan. (April 30, 2019). US's Bolton urges Venezuelan military support after Guaido seeks backing. Reuters. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ The Daily Dose (February 12, 2019). VENEZUELA'S STANDOFF IS SOCIALIST VS. SOCIALIST. OZY. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ Larison, Daniel. (July 1, 2018). The Despicable Hawkish Embrace of the MEK. The American Conservative. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ Dorell, Oren (March 30, 2018). Here's how Trump's new national security adviser John Bolton feels about Russia. USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ↑ Independent (January 6, 2019). John Bolton contradicts Trump by saying Syria withdrawal depends on defeating Isis. Independent. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ↑ Reuters (January 6, 2019). Bolton says Turkey must not attack Kurdish fighters once U.S. leaves Syria. Reuters. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ↑ AP (January 8, 2019). Turkey slams US request for assurances on Syrian Kurds. Associated Press. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ↑ RT (January 11, 2019). ‘Just fire him!’: Ron Paul blasts Bolton, Pompeo for undermining Trump. RT. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ RT (June 12, 2019). ‘Russian trolls run Trump’s Twitter account?’ Moscow ridicules Bolton’s disinformation claims. RT. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ↑ Martel, Frances (September 12, 2019). Martel: In Venezuela, John Bolton Bet on Socialists and Lost. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/did-john-bolton-light-the-fuse-of-the-uk-iranian-tanker-crisis/
- ↑ http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/03/john-bolton-is-a-terrible-fit-for-his-new-job.html
- ↑ https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/27/george-w-bush-blasted-john-bolton-in-2008-i-dont-consider-bolton-credible/
- ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-security-council-john-bolton-warning-classified-information-manuscript-top-secret/
- ↑ https://www.axios.com/bolton-book-trump-xi-7501cd4d-9d8a-4b01-86e9-6984590de565.html
- ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/john-bolton-will-not-vote-for-trump-nor-biden-telegraph-2020-6
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1288297889664585728
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