Trump ends Secret Service protection for advisor-turned-critic Bolton
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US President Donald Trump cancels Secret Service protection for former advisor John Bolton, who became a critic of the former president, after he was reelected.
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Former US National security adviser John Bolton gestures while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, September 30, 2019 (AP)
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton revealed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump terminated his Secret Service protection.
Bolton, who served during Trump’s first term but later emerged as a vocal critic, expressed disappointment over the decision, calling it "unsurprising."
In a post on X, Bolton referenced a 2022 Justice Department case against an Islamic Revolution Guard Corps official accused of attempting to hire someone to assassinate him. "That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trump’s own assassination," he stated.
Bolton noted that despite his criticism of former Democratic President Joe Biden’s national security policies, Biden had extended Secret Service protection to him in 2021. "The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call," Bolton remarked.
The decision comes a day after Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance, accusing him of disclosing sensitive information in his 2020 memoir, which was critical of Trump’s administration.
Bolton warns of global crises
In late December, The Guardian published an interview with Bolton, who warned that Trump's second term could bring a heightened risk of international crises due to the president-elect's impulsive leadership style and lack of focus on foreign policy.
Bolton, who served under Trump for 17 months, described his former boss as uninterested in the complexities of international relations, stating, "He doesn't know much about foreign policy. He's not a big reader... briefing papers are almost never read because he doesn't think they're important." He criticized Trump's decision-making process as guided by "neuron flashes" rather than coherent strategy, adding that "intellectual discipline wasn't in the Trump vocabulary."
Highlighting the increased risks in today's geopolitical climate, Bolton cautioned, "The risk of an international crisis of the 19th-century variety is much more likely in a second Trump term. Given Trump's inability to focus on coherent decision-making, I'm very worried about how that might look."
Bolton expressed particular concern over Trump's claims that he could end the war in Ukraine within a day, suggesting that the president-elect might push for a resolution without considering its consequences for US allies. "He wants it behind him, which strongly implies he doesn't care on what terms," Bolton said, warning such an approach could be "very dangerous for Ukraine."
Bolton's criticisms also extended to Trump's recent controversial proposals, including threats to reclaim the Panama Canal, purchase Greenland, and annex Canada. Reflecting on the potential unpredictability of another Trump presidency, Bolton remarked, "He now feels more confident in his judgment having been re-elected, which will make it even harder to impose any kind of intellectual decision-making discipline."
