John Bolton Out As Trump's National Security Advisor

Differences in outlook on how best to deal with adversarial countries led President Donald Trump on Tuesday to dismiss National Security Advisor John Bolton and will force the president to choose a fourth person for the job less than three years into his administration.

Trump said on Twitter he notified Bolton Monday night "his services are no longer needed at the White House."

To many observers the move, while not necessarily expected, wasn't surprising: Trump and Bolton had notably differing approaches to the nation's perceived adversaries, with Bolton a hardliner criticized by some as a war hawk while Trump has vacillated between conciliatory and threatening, but generally has preferred to negotiate over differences more than 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....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2019

The decision also comes after a high profile decision by Trump to try to meet with Taliban leaders at Camp David, a move the president reportedly pursued over the advice of aides. Trump called off the meeting on Monday.

Clashed On North Korea, Iran

Trump and Bolton reportedly clashed in particular on North Korea and Iran, and Trump acknowledged the two clashed.

"I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation," the president's tweet said. "I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”

Bolton, 70, was a hardliner on Iran, and favored an airstrike on the country after an American surveillance drone was shot down, but Trump rejected the plan.

Bolton also was a North Korea hawk, while Trump has famously courted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un despite the country's flouting of international demands related to its nuclear program.

Ambassador Bolton to me just now: “I will have my say in due course. But I have given you the facts on the resignation. My sole concern is US national security.”

— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 10, 2019

Bolton was Trump's third national security advisor in as many years. The first, Michael Flynn, left after less than a month in the job and later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The second, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, never clicked personally with Trump and left in March of 2018.

Bolton worked in the State Department and later was ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, Flickr