Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton told CNN's John Berman on Friday, "it's pretty hard to hide the problems and deficiencies" of the former president.
"If you are in the circumstances, people like John Kelly as well, that saw him every day that we were on the job it's pretty hard to hide the problems and the deficiencies. I mean I voted for Trump in 2016...on the theory that it was a better choice than Hillary Clinton," Bolton said. "Nothing disciplines his [Trump's] thinking."
The Context:
Trump is the current Republican frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race. With Biden as the Democratic incumbent, the two will likely have a rematch in November. As the election looms, national security has been a key issue. Biden is currently dealing with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and growing conflict in the Middle East after Hamas' attack on Israel in early October 2023. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the U.S.-Mexico border as there has been a surge in illegal crossings in recent years.
What We Know:
While on CNN on Friday, Bolton said he did not vote for Trump again in 2020 and that he will not vote for Trump nor Biden in the 2024 election.
"I think Biden is likely in his second term to continue the policies he's pursued in the first and where I worry about Trump being completely feckless in his approach to national security...the president's policies to date show that he pursues a very weak line to America's disadvantage," Bolton said. "Both in their own ways, I think, are doing grave damage to our national security."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's and Biden's campaigns as well as the John Bolton PAC via email for comment.
Views:
Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) base has praised the former president for his strong immigration policies during his tenure and criticized what they call Biden's open border policy.
There has been dwindling support for Ukrainian aid among Republicans in Congress. Biden has said that he is open to a bipartisan border deal that the Senate is currently working on. This deal would not only help the situation at the southern border, but Biden hopes it will also lead to negotiations on Ukraine funding that have been halted.
However, Trump has taken credit for attempting to convince Republicans in Congress to kill the deal. He said at a rally in Nevada last weekend, "I'll fight it all the way...please blame it on me."
Trump's critics said that the former president is trying to kill the deal so that he can campaign on the border issue.
What's Next?
Trump and Biden are on the campaign trail as the presidential race ramps up. While Biden is trying to win votes in South Carolina, he has also been dealing with the fallout of a recent drone strike in Jordan carried out by Iranian-backed militants that killed three U.S. servicemen and injured dozens more.
Trump is trying to get out the MAGA vote in Nevada while managing his court schedule as he faces four criminal indictments. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him and claims the cases are politically motivated.
Update 2/2/24, 10:44 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 2/2/24, 12:24 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 2/2/24, 1:56 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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