Despite the fact that Donald “Trump does not want to be seen giving up to pressure” this early in his second term, one Cabinet official is on the chopping block and another has been diminished in an unprecedented way, according to a former Trump adviser.
Trump’s former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, appeared on CNN on Saturday to discuss the inner workings of Trump’s second stint in the White House.
Bolton was asked by the host about Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who isn’t leading the efforts to negotiate an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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When asked if that is “frustrating” for Rubio, Bolton said, “Yeah, I mean, frustrating is kind of a polite way to put it.”
“It’s unprecedented certainly in recent U.S. experience, compounded by the fact that Witkoff is also the lead negotiator in talks with Iran, which I personally think are a waste of oxygen, but which may signal that Trump is ready to make a deal with Iran, inexplicably,” he then added. “But Witkoff, who has no experience with Iran, with nuclear weapons or with arms control and nonproliferation, how that’s going to happen, particularly simultaneously, really must be music to the ears of our adversaries.”
Bolton was also asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been bogged down by allegations related to national security and department management itself.
“Trump does not want to be seen early in his administration, to give up the pressure from the media and from the Democrats, but I don’t see this lasting a very long period,” he then concluded. “I mean, I think Hegseth is close to being a dead man walking at this point politically.”
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