NEW: Trump Fires National Security Adviser John Bolton

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

GoLocalPDX Political Team

John Bolton PHOTO: White House/Wikipedia

President Donald Trump has fired National Security Adviser John Bolton.

"I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” wrote Trump on Twitter.

He added, “ I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”

Chafee Raised Concerns -- Repeatedly

Former United States Senator Lincoln Chafee appeared on GoLocal LIVE in March of 2018, where he spoke to his experience in dealing with Bolton, who had been the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during his tenure -- and is now President Donald Trump's pick for the newest National Security Adviser.

"Oh no...he's back," said Chafee of his reaction when he heard Bolton was Trump's pick. "This fellow from the old neocon days and advocate for the war in Iraq -- and totally wrong -- it was just "oh no."

Chafee said he was somewhat surprised at Trump's pick, given his position during the Presidential campaign.

"President Trump as a candidate used the Iraq war against Clinton -- saying it was a bad decision -- and now he's hiring a chief advocate for the war," said Chafee.

Chafee took on Bolton aggressively in July, 2006

The Huffington Post wrote at the time, "OK — Something interesting is going on with Lincoln Chafee. He just shoved John Bolton all over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing Room floor.

Must have had spinach and Wheaties this morning. Chafee was dogged in questioning John Bolton on his views about Israel-Palestine, about the root causes of the crisis in the Middle East, about Bolton’s simple-minded use of the term “terrorism”, and about Bolton’s views of “shaping the Middle East” as one of the greatest challenges America faces.

Senator Chafee started off reading a Bolton statement that he made in the past where Bolton essentially blamed terrorism as the fundamental problem in the Middle East. Chafee said to Bolton: “You are a brilliant man. Terrorism is a device. Your statement makes no sense. Explain it.”

Reed and Whitehouse vote for extending war

Chafee also expressed his disappointment in Rhode Island's current Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, following their "no" votes in the Senate on U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) resolution to limit Trump's War Powers Act powers in Yemen.

"Unfortunately, earlier this week, the Senate voted against a Bernie Sanders-Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah -- bill to review how we get into these conflicts," said Chafee. "We're using the justification used just after 9/11. I was there then -- 9/11 happened on Tuesday, we had the vote on Thursday -- again they're using these "war powers" with which we had no debate, which the [Rhode Island] Senators, unfortunately, voted this week not to have a review of it. Now with Bolton in power, it's even more alarming."

About Bolton

Bolton has served as the 27th National Security Adviser since April of 2018.

Prior to that, Bolton served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations as a recess appointee by President George W. Bush from August of 2005 until he resigned in December of 2006.

He is a former senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Fox News commentator.

Bolton also served as a foreign policy adviser to 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney.