Trump Picks 'Unhinged Advocate for World
War III' John Bolton as New National Security Adviser
Providing the clearest indication
yet that he is rapidly "putting
together a war cabinet," President Donald Trump announced in a tweet Thursday night
that John Bolton—described by one commentator as the
"most reckless and consistently wrongheaded extremist in American public
life"—will replace H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser early
next month.
Formerly the U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations during the Bush administration, Bolton was one of the most
enthusiastic supporters of the invasion of Iraq and has over the past decade
repeatedly called for war with Iran and North Korea as a regular guest on FOX
News and in the op-ed pages of some of America's most prominent
right-wing editorial pages.
Though he reportedly promised Trump "he wouldn't start any wars" if he got the position, foreign policy analysts and lawmakers argued that Bolton's long record of warmongering indicates that he will attempt to do precisely that.
Senator Bernie
Sanders (I-VT) said, “John Bolton was
part of the effort to mislead the US into the disastrous Iraq war and has
supported military action against North Korea and Iran. He was too extreme to
be confirmed as UN ambassador in 2005 and is absolutely the wrong person to be
national security advisor now.”
Rep. Rep.
Keith Ellison (D-MN) said “John Bolton
still thinks the disastrous Iraq War was a good idea. He advocates for bombing
both Iran and North Korea. His appointment as national security adviser is
dangerous.”
"Bolton is an unhinged advocate
for waging World War III," Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian
American Council (NIAC), said in a statement in response to the news Thursday
night.
"Congress must do everything in
its power to convince Trump to reconsider this decision and exert maximal
pressure to constrain Bolton's ability to impose irreparable harm to the U.S.
and global security. Bolton now represents the greatest threat to the United
States."
Combined with his appointment earlier this month of current CIA Director
Mike Pompeo to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, the
Bolton pick means "Trump may have just effectively declared war on
Iran," Parsi argued.
"As the world awaits Trump’s
May 12 decision as to whether he will abandon the Iran nuclear deal, all of the
signs now point to a decision to move to war footing."
Trump's decision to elevate Bolton
to the most important foreign policy position in the White House—which does not
require Senate confirmation—comes as the president is planning to meet with
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks after months of back-and-forth
threats and rising nuclear tensions.
Jon Rainwater, executive director of
Peace Action, argued in a statement on Thursday that Bolton's appointment could
deal a death blow to the possibility of diplomacy between the U.S. and North
Korea.
"This isn't just another
terrible appointment, this tips Trump's hand about the likelihood of military
action on the Korean Peninsula," Rainwater added.
"Americans who recognize the
recklessness of starting a war with North Korea need to stand up and make
themselves heard. Bolton's appointment to this central role at the national
security council strongly suggests Trump intends to sabotage the budding
diplomatic opening, declare that diplomacy failed, and pivot back to war."
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)—who had
joined anti-war groups in expressing alarm at recent rumors that Bolton could
be the next national security adviser—issued a short statement Thursday saying
simply, "This is dangerous news for the country and the world."
"I hear the drumbeats of
war," Lee added.