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Attorney John Bolton served as former Republican President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019. Since then his support for his former boss has waned.
In an interview on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday, Bolton decried Trump’s obsession with his image.
"I don’t think Trump is capable of making the decisions grounded in national security. His attention span is short."
"He doesn’t know much about world history or world affairs. He actually doesn’t think they matter very much."
"He thinks his personal relationships with foreign leaders, especially the authoritarian ones, are all that matter. And while personal relations in international affairs are important, when you get in a situation like we see in the Middle East now, they’re not significant."
Bolton criticized Trump's inability to focus.
"So faced with these decisions, Trump could go one way in the morning, a different way in the afternoon. He doesn’t have the ability to stay consistent for long periods of time, except on one thing, which is how he looks, in the press and in public attention."
"And that is very worrying. When you’re in a crisis, you need a president who is resolute, who can keep his eyes on the prize, and worry about our national security, not his own image."
Kaitlan Collins asked:
"So basically, you’re saying that you think that he thinks these relationships that he has with Putin or with Xi Jinping or with Kim Jong Un, that they would save him when it comes to the actual policy and the dynamic of those relationships, and that you’re arguing it won’t, it doesn’t do anything for that.
Bolton—who also served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006—responded:
"Well, I think, the hard men of history like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, understand what their job is for their respective country. I don’t think Trump understands what the job of the presidency is for ours."
"And I will say, having been in the room with him, in meeting those people, having listened in on his phone conversations, I don’t think they are really friendly with Donald Trump."
Trump's former advisor didn't feel the authoritarian leaders Trump admires share his adoration.
"I think they think—Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and others—they think he’s a laughing fool and they’re fully prepared to take advantage of him. Trump’s self-absorption makes it impossible for him to understand that."
Collins asked:
"So you think they’d be happy if he returned to the Oval Office?"
Bolton replied:
"Yeah, I think they believe he’s an easy mark."
You can watch the clip here:
Trump\u2019s former National Security Adviser John Bolton: \u201cXI Jinping and Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and others, they think he\u2019s a laughing fool. And they\u2019re fully prepared to take advantage of him. Trump\u2019s self-absorption makes it impossible for him to understand that.\u201d— (@)
While Bolton won't sway any of Trump's diehard MAGA minions, those not in the Trump camp concurred with his assessment.
@AccountableGOP Exactly! I read numerous books by Trump administration officials. Xi, Putin & Kim played Trump like a fiddle. All it took was a few compliments & he was putty in their hands. He caught on a little with Xi & Kim late in the game, but never with Putin. A second Trump administration\u2026— (@)
People were also critical of Bolton's decision to stay mum when speaking out would have been more effective.
@AccountableGOP @Beniceneighbor Too bad Bolton didn't say sooner what he could have about #Trump. Book sales were too important.\nToo bad #NikkiHaley didn't say anything sooner about the Big Fella. Her political career was too important.\nNeither are Liz Cheney, who cared more about the country than herself.— (@)
But it didn't mean he wasn't right.
Trump leads his fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley by over 30 points in her home state of South Carolina leading up to the February 24 primary according to FiveThirtyEight.