By: Rosemary Dewar
Former Ambassador John Bolton has finally joined the Trump administration as the National Security Advisor. No one could ask for a more informed and objectively successful expert. Regardless of John Bolton’s decriers, he will become a proficient scalpel filleting the bureaucracy that has haunted our intelligence community for the last two administrations. The Left has openly expressed their displeasure with John Bolton’s appointment. There could be no better indicator of how beneficial Bolton’s leadership will be than to see those who have abused the system shudder.
John Bolton’s experience includes being an attorney general in different departments during the Reagan administration, as well as his appointment as United Nations Ambassador during George W. Bush’s administration. Throughout his career he lectured and advised on the perilous relationship that was manifesting between Iran, Syria, Russia, and North Korea. Before the Middle East was eviscerated by the vacuum the Obama administration created, John Bolton was unapologetically inquiring as to why North Korean diplomats were visiting Assad. Bolton’s adept knowledge will be a needed change for the intelligence community.
Due to General McMaster’s consistently mismatched priorities with President Trump’s agenda, including the United States’ relationship with Israel, John Bolton’s appointment becomes more understandable. President Trump had many documented meetings with John Bolton before and after the inauguration. When President Trump was building his cabinet, everyone was waiting to see Bolton take the seat as Secretary of State. Because of the structure managed by the Chief of Staff at the time, it didn’t seem like a possibility. Now that many transitions have taken place, and Mike Pompeo is now Secretary of State, John Bolton’s position with national security is a well-deserved advancement for both President Trump’s agenda and Mr. Bolton.
When it comes to John Bolton’s detractors, there are two perceptions that are quite unfounded. On the Left, we have those like former President Jimmy Carter who has stated that President Trump’s decision “may be one of the worst mistakes that President Trump has made since he’s been in office.” What this could only mean for conservatives is that John Bolton’s appointment is one of the most exceptional executions of President Trump’s administration. Others in the Pentagon have expressed that they are “bracing themselves” for Bolton’s arrival. The American public can look forward with assurance that John Bolton’s leadership will serve them better than the bureaucracy. Secondly, those on the right who under the misconception that John Bolton is a rabid nation-builder do not know him well enough. To label Bolton as a paleo-con or neo-con would be to not truly know the meanings of those definitions. Paleo-cons are nation-building interventionists, and neo-cons are specifically democrats who have become conservatives. Bolton fits neither category. Regardless of Bolton being in favor of being involved in other conflicts over the past two decades, his strategy differed greatly from others who advised getting involved in civil conflicts.
President Trump’s agenda to improve our foreign affairs policy now has a higher probability of success with John Bolton’s partnership in coordination with Mike Pompeo’s placement. Supporters’ reservations of the many transitions need to take into account that most of the newer appointments are improvements in comparison to those seated before. The American public can look forward to an intelligence community that will be better aligned with the President’s priorities to adequately defend the county he is relied upon to protect.
By: Rosemary Dewar
