The revolving door leading to the Oval Office isn’t nearly done spinning. Donald Trump’s national security advisor, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, has resigned. In his place will step John Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations. Rumors of McMaster’s departure from Trump’s National Security team have been humming for weeks, which, according to sources inside the White House, led to an uncertainty with foreign officials.
The New York Times paints a picture of a Trump White House that is attempting to bolster its National Security forces ahead of Trump’s meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was fired and replaced with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.
I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, @AmbJohnBolton will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2018
The White House said that McMaster’s departure was mutually agreed upon, and has nothing to do with the leak that Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin for winning/stealing another Russian election. McMaster’s exit was supposedly in the works for weeks, but in the months leading to it, both he and Trump butted heads behind the scenes and in public. McMaster said the Russian interference in the 2016 election was “beyond dispute,” while Trump took to Twitter for his response:
General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems. Remember the Dirty Dossier, Uranium, Speeches, Emails and the Podesta Company!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Trump’s pick of Bolton to step in as National Security Advisor has cultivated an uptick in reminders that Bolton could possibly accelerate military action against North Korea.
John Bolton will be Donald Trump's top national security adviser when he sits down for talks with North Korea. John Bolton will be Donald Trump's top national security adviser when he sits down for talks with North Korea. John Bolton will be Donald Trump's https://t.co/HZAm93nVm4 pic.twitter.com/Ee5w4U8KdE
— Eric Levitz (@EricLevitz) March 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/Richie0496/status/976957880518807552
Everybody get ready, the ultra-hawk, hawkman is in the house. Here comes John Bolton! This means war! pic.twitter.com/7p88S4Kd5G
— Dorothy Johnson (@tymina2) March 22, 2018
H. R. McMaster will be replaced by John Bolton, a hard-line former U.S. ambassador. pic.twitter.com/oZv4Kf4GJI
— 51Ə7Ə (@_ST3V3N_W) March 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/dr_ikjyotsinghk/status/976957283526520833
(Via The New York Times)