Trump names John Bolton as new national security adviser, replacing H.R. McMaster

Anca Alexe 23/03/2018 | 10:04

US President Donald Trump announced that General H.R. McMaster, his national security adviser, will be replaced by John Bolton, Reuters reports.

Bolton is an outspoken advocate of military intervention and has said in the past that the US should strike North Korea and Iran. He was US ambassador to the United Nations during the Bush administration and he has had an analyst role on conservative outlet Fox News, being known for his tough stance on global and military issues.

Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy reacted very negatively to Bolton’s appointment: “The person who will first in first out of the Oval Office on national security matters passionately believes the US should launch pre-emptive war against both Iran and North Korea with no authorisation from congress. My God.”

The move, together with the firing of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state earlier this month, who was replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, suggests that Trump is surrounding himself with advisers who agree with all his views and who wish for a more hawkish foreign policy.

The New York Times writes that Bolton has been on a list of candidates for national security adviser since Trump took office, but that Trump hesitated, partly due to Bolton’s “walrus-style moustache”.

White House officials have said that H.R. McMaster’s resignation was a mutual, amicable decision. The three-star general also resigned from the military. They also said that the main reason for the change was the need for a new foreign policy team before Trump’s possible meeting with Kim Jong-un, which could happen in May.