The Times is mistaking incompetence for a "love of chaos".
The Reality Show Con Artist isn't a real person with "beliefs", "policies" or an "agenda" other than to enrich himself with attention and money.
His utterances - where he often backtracks in mid-sentence -
don't come from anywhere other than a narcissists desire for the spotlight and to be liked and he has neither the interest or the capacity to govern.
He is unmoored from values and rational thinking; we have all know this for some time.
To think that anything he does or says has any substance beyond his own interests at that moment means you underestimate the depths of the fraud we have elected President.
10
There was no policy purpose in choosing Bolton in the first place. Recall, Trump was wary of Bolton because he didn't like the look of his mustache. That's the level of his thinking on these matters. A minion convinced Trump that no one would drive liberals more bonkers as National Security Adviser than Bolton. That's all he needed; no weighing of compatible personalities, ideologies, or competence, just "he'll drive my enemies nuts, let's do this."
5
Who is in charge of the Cuckoo's Nest?
2
While John Bolton has a reputation of being a warmonger, his positions are in the Republican mainstream. Wouldn't he have easily fitted in with George W. Bush, Cheney and the architects of the Iraq War?
Bolton was ousted by Trump, who despite his terrorist rhetoric, such as threatening total destruction of 26 million Koreans, is less a bloodthirsty warmonger than some other Republicans.
3
First and foremost: With trump, we are dealing with someone who is seriously and dangerously mentally ill, with several crossover psychiatric conditions. 27 psychiatrists wrote a book about this. trump is not only a malignant narcissist, and a pathological liar, but he suffers from incredible insecurities which feed the narcissism and the lying, and which have given rise to bombast, pomposity, entitlement, and frankly, sheer, unadulterated lunacy, the likes of which we have never seen in an American president. He is impulsive, impetuous, impatient, ill-educated, unwilling to be taught, nasty, abusive, malicious, vindictive, envious, delusional, cruel and sadistic. He has alienated allies, so alienating enemies is so much easier. If you are going to bash, insult, and rant against your allies, what do you have in store for your enemies? The answer is: It is not diplomacy. It is not anything constructive. It is not anything intelligent. It is not anything well thought out or strategized. trump does not have the skills to do anything like this. What he is, is a creator of chaos, hatred, destruction, cruelty, sadism, stupidity, viciousness, and anything that is dishonest or dishonorable...anything that is absurd or ill-advised. This is what he has been his entire life, so do not expect anything different now. Someone this damaged, and this mentally disturbed, has no business as a guardian of our public trust. He should be locked away where he is not a danger to others.
7
I never had much use for Rex Tillerson but he did correctly describe President Trump.
4
When I watch the Sunday news shows, Pompeo appears as a sweaty Trump toad. Bolton didn't sweat, but his words never smacked of truth.
If the reason Bolton was fired was partially because he wasn't on the same sycophant level as Pompeo, there isn't much hope for the next candidate to actually be an adviser.
6
At the time of his selection, John Bolton's war-mongering reputation made him very attractive to Trump. Now, after tossing monkey-wrenches into US dealings with N. Korea, Iran, etc., Trump may have noticed it is getting hot and he has been a pariah at meetings like G-7. Solution: blame Bolton. Make headlines. It is Trump's favorite line from his TV show, The Apprentice: You're fored.
1
King Donald is the only who can do anything he likes.
1
Bolton seems determined to start World War III. I'm glad he's gone. However, that still leaves his ignorant, foolish, thin-skinned egomaniac former boss in power. I'm not hopeful about what comes next.
1
If you are such a jerk that even Trump can't stand you, you are really special.
The well-worded smart critical comments in the New York Times show that there are still many fine Americans.
Stop wringing your hands.
Do something to rid the world of this dangerous clown-for-a-Presidente.
Why are the People’s Houses not choked with protestors demanding impeachment ?
2
There is not one good person left in the Trump administration, not even marginally good. John Bolton is a horrendous person as well as a terrible fit for a job which requires temperance in thought and humanity, but then look who's the president. Up and down there are horrible, mostly incompetent people in key administration positions: Pompeo: a liar, sycophant, arrogant jerk; Mulvaney: treacherous liar, corrupt, incompetent hypocrite, sycophant; Ken Cuccinelli, arrogant, incompetent, cruel, inhumane, immoral liar; DeVos,, incompetent, moronic, ignorant racist; Wilbur Ross: incompetent, immoral, corrupt liar, thief; on and on till you get to the top: Donald Trump, who has all of the collective negative traits, and more, on steroids.
4
Reading tea leaves when the house is on fire, are we?
Our nattering nabobs may want some perspective for none of this (facts described that are concurrent, and historic, in this article) means anything; in fact it means less than nothing.
Why Trump did what he did, is a question that emerges hourly, and attracts a lot of attention. At some point, I hope highly educated analysts, given to completely anodyne descriptions, and tenuous and weak implications drawing realize that some stuff is bizarre, beyond explanation, and eventually very very boring.
Trump is boring. What he is doing is boring. His immediate sycophants are boring. We keep up with this type of analysis, we are going to become boring. As in 'completely irrelevant.'
1
So, Trump gives us no reason to allow him to continue in office, we must impeach and remove him. Or at least impeach him as soon as we can.
1
The puzzling plan to bring the Taliban to Camp David to seal a still fluid accord with America seems to have one primary purpose: a grand photo op showing Trump accomplishing what neither George W Bush and in particular Barack Obama could achieve. You can sense Trump salivating and ignoring prudence.
When American decisions are driven by photo ops we have reached a nadir. November 2020 can't come soon enough.
3
Make no mistake about this. The reason Trump wants to get a "deal" with North Korea, the Taliban, and any other of our enemies is that he is incredibly jealous of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. It is something that he cannot take away or cancel. His only recourse is to try and get one of these deals to be successful so he can "win the prize."
3
The obvious elephant in the room that the NYT Editorial failed to mention is that Trump, despite his bombastic rhetoric, is not enamored with using military force like the naive and uncurious George W. Bush. Despite his corruption and disregard for governing institutions, Trump deserves some credits for not plunging the US into preemptive and un-winnable wars like Iraq and Afghanistan. His distaste of using military force as a default solution is perhaps radically different from his predescesors. Let's hope that it'll stay that way.
18
I suggest you do a story on the highest 10 people in the administration who have not been fired or left under a cloud - the ones who are still there, from day one of this nightmare. What kind of people are they and what are they injecting into the government?
18
Gary Kelly, CEO SW Airlines penned a simple 5 point description of the top traits of effective leaders.
Donald Trump meets NONE of them. SW over almost 50 years went from tiny Texas startup to a key and indispensable part of the US transportation network over the years. It has had only 3 CEO's since 1970.
Donald Trump has gone through 3 National Security Directors in less than 3 years. And that is the tip of the iceberg attached to the high rpm revolving door of the Executive Branch. I suppose it says SOMETHING about the people who support Trump and aren't wealthy: they are clueless if the revolving door doesn't disturb them.
3
Trump's "zest for chaos," as you respectfully characterize it, is actually an enthusiasm most commonly found within those afflicted by clinical madness.
While I am sure that some sane people can share that enthusiasm, in their cases it should be said that such enthusiasm is entirely elective.
Trump is crazy by nature and so his appetite for chaos is a fixture of his personality.
American voters, the civilized world begs you to take this tragic fact into consideration as you continue to prepare for November 2020.
5
Possible analysis - He got hired for supporting a withdrawal from the Iran deal, i.e., agreeing with Trump. Then he got fired for his hawkish opinions concerning North Korea and Afghanistan, i.e. disagreeing with Trump.
3
If Russia wanted to attack the United States, what would they want to do (differently) to our National Security infrastructure to help their attack be more successful?
4
Trump's claim that he selected Bolton because he likes his subordinates to hold differing opinions and debate those opinions. BALONEY. Trump has proven once again that he has zero tolerance for any subordinate expressing a different opinion from him. To wit, those subordinates who are not sycophants have departed (Mattis, McMaster, Kelly, Tillerson, McGahn) and only those who are willing to express total obeisance remain. Let's not kid ourselves, if and when Trump replaces Bolton, it will be one who sheepishly falls in line. In the world of Trump, competence at performing a job takes a far back seat to blind loyalty to him.
148
As several of his key aides of the past have observed (Tillerson, Kelley), Trump cannot be advised, only listened to. Now I do not mourn the loss of Bolton in this case, but the core problem is still an unprincipled, undisciplined president who uses any means at his disposal to maintain his grip on power, without regard to law, morals, or even the good of the nation.
591
@PT or especially the good of the nation. The bottom line is his bottom line. That's all that really counts. It's a disease - read about Charles Koch and others of that ilk.
20
@PT
"Or even the good of the nation."
Mr. Birther has no inkling what that even means. The ONLY thing he knows is "for good of the brand".
25
@PT
"an unprincipled, undisciplined president who uses any means at his disposal to maintain his grip on power, without regard to law, morals"
And yet, so many of 'das volk' continue to offer him their ecstatic support, certain that the Leader knows best.
19
Mark Twain once said that there is a simple solution to every problem -- and it's always wrong. It's good that Bolton has been kicked out. He is a war-monger. Fortunately, Trump isn't interested in going to war because it couldn't end in time to advance his bid for re-election. So now Trump will go on offering us simple solutions to all of our country's problems all by himself (and Pompeo, his lap dog). As long as his base remains thrilled by the simplicity of those solutions, he will be satisfied.
5
Trump did not fire Bolton via Twitter because he's cruel. The same goes for the same method in previous terminations. Trump did it because, in a word, he is nothing but a coward. At his rallies he likes to bluster and put on the macho act for his base, but look at how many times he's been a no-show for potentially uncomfortable situations. The supposed meeting with the Taliban, or playing golf during a severe hurricane, or cancelling important meetings at the last minute, to name a few. It's a fact that at times, presidents have to face the music. Most of them have, yet Trump, instead, cowers in his private quarters behind his twitter persona. To paraphrase, he's rarely 'in the kitchen' because for him, any heat at all is just too intense.
5
If only America figures out that Mr. Trump really is insane.
7
A short time ago, when asked about several circumstances related to various foreign policy matters, DJT replied to a reporter by saying ".....that's how I negotiate...."
Perhaps that style is not suited for international problem-solving - it has yet to produce a single constructive result.
7
Trump showed us he would be a TV President and the electoral college gave him a shot at leading us but over time most can see Trump wants to be our TV president . Trump is now drunk with power surviving the Mueller Report and finding out new powers he has Trump is focusing on using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. Trump sees the GOP terror of him as a blank check he can use to scribble on weather maps with a Sharpie and order his cabinet to stay at his properties. Trump will not leave office peacefully as the consequences that await him are dire so expect a Sharpie will be used on the election results and Barr will keep him in office until he investigates for 4 years.
5
Bolton's views and opinions were well known before his stint with the administration. It appears the president was more interested in trolling Dem voters than in finding the right national security advisor when he was hired in the first place.
7
Rex Tillerson was far too kind.
** sigh **
4
I'm not sorry to see Bolton go, not in the least. But the idea that anyone is named as "an advisor" to Trump is absurd. He has no need for advisors - he only needs people surrounding him who adore him and won't argue with him.
6
If
chaos = Trump = no wars,
and
smooth order = smooth Obama = wars,
then certainly chaos is preferable.
At least for the many who would die in wars and for their families...
@novoad Political chaos can cause unrest. That's not good for countries - whatsoever.
3
The fat spider in the center of this convoluted web will do something rash when seeing he can’t escape his own creation. Our democracy has become a joke with this administration as its punchline.
7
The worst thing about this article (I agree with the substance) is the giant banner ad for Koch Industries inviting me to listen to Charles Koch talk about innovation that appears in the middle of it (at least in my version). What gives NYT?
2
Read this carefully, folks. This is the editorial board of the New York Times. This is not fake news. It is the most responsible consensus available to a democracy that knows no higher value than public opinion.
5
Nobody will do a deal with Trump, he is utterly unreliable...
5
@yves rochette Indeed Canada, where you live, and Mexico have just signed on a great deal with Trump replacing NAFTA.
But as you mention, the Democrats in the House are unreliable, spending all their energy on discussing impeaching the President for not acquiescing to a bogus inquiry started by their crimes.
So we need to wait till after 2020 to have it passed and signed by Trump.
@novoad It appears the Senate, you know, that body of legislators who have the responsibility to ratify a treaty. At present, the Senate has a GOP majority. So, given that, explain how the Democrats have held up that ratification?
P.S. Talk to Mitch about NAFTA 2.0.
7
@Dan. Thanks. We really need civics back in the schools, don’t we?
3
Many people have said that Bolton was appointed at the behest of a multi-billionaire ($25,000,000,000) donors and supportes of the Saudii-Israel axis. Bolton, at hs side, gave the president cover to stomp on Iran, elevate Jerusalem, annex the Golan Heights, and support Netanyahu's election, all for the next war and its many benefits.
His job done, goodbye Bolton.
3
September 11, 2019
All of which says: method in madness - all is a great:
Great Godfather film noir in the making, real time, Trumpian epic drama buffa.
America needs a statesman and not a post modern jerk holding the most powerful seat on the planet.
Wake up and best this Editorial goes viral should we fasten the remedy to the prefect plan be out the window so goes the Golden Chosen one destroying America's better cultural natural and God given talents much in demand for survival in all matters for saving civilization here, there and in our own voting talents.
1
This self-inflicted rot will continue. The bottom of the barrel will continue scraping the bottom of the barrel. The squabbling among incompetents will be masked by the usual layers of denials and lies upon lies. What an absolutely pitiful state this country is in. A complete embarrassment. America is being run by people who would otherwise be in an asylum if Reagan had not let them out. Nothing good can happen from chaos - orchestrated or otherwise - so to talk so cavalierly about it is worrying, to say the least.
6
Bolton should never been hired in the first place. I do not agree with Trump on many things but whatever the reason, Trump has at least shown he is not looking for military conflict. He seems content to just cause turmoil in the world. Bolton reminds me of the saying, I never saw a war I didn't like
One day (maybe soon) America will be forced to confront a genuine crisis. Then, its citizens will gasp in horror as the Trump administration flails, and lets down its oath to protect and defend. Dark days are coming!
4
@Bubba
"confront a genuine crisis"
That crisis was ISIS in Syria, inherited from Obama. As you say, Trump solved it brilliantly and reliably, something the smooth talking but ineffective Obama could never do.
Just for that, Trump deserves a second term.
@novoad
Well, ISIS was not a genuine crisis for Americans, rather an abstract and far-away problem for the poor souls in that region of the world, and it is laughable to think Trump actually did anything about them except wear some kind of dopey baseball cap that he thinks makes him look tough and try to seem like he understood what Jim Mattis was saying.
7
ISIS's ability to form and reign was a problem arising out of George W. Bush's trashing and destabilizing of Iraq. A problem then inherited by Obama. He is not the cause of it.
8
Evidently the main reason that Bolton was not appointed earlier was that Trump did not like that mustache, which failed to comport with his “central casting” criteria for his important officials. Had he shaved, perhaps he would still be on the job, for better (or more likely) worse.
Given that these are the thought processes of the Commander-in-Chief, it is difficult to imagine him making appropriate appointments for any department.
3
in a nutshell...i think this President's most serious flaw is...he cannot suffer being upstaged. His aides, the experts around him, the consultants who have been working with other presidents, the scientists, the diplomats, the soldiers...he will suffer no informed opinion other than his own semi-amateurish evaluations. And he LOVES firing people ! I'm not sure that he is perfectly aware that he is the President of the United States. What i see...is he thinks he is President of HIS business extension of the United States. This is all an extension of his late show on TV in his head or i'm blind. Bizarre !
8
Commentators seem to be confused about cleverness and smartness. These words often reflect CUNNING and not WISDOM. Both Trump and Bolton are cunning but lack wisdom. Also both of them are sclerotic; contrary evidence does not make them adjust, they double-down. The big difference is that Trump is also a congenital, consummate liar. Even if assertion of truth would favour him, his innate nature leads him to assert a falsehood. QED.
4
Donald Trump and John Bolton are criminals. In a decent and ethical society they would both be locked up and the key thrown away. Their motivations may be discrete from each other, one venial, the other a lust after power and dominance, but they are both cut from the same pathological cloth. Of course neither Bolton’s departure nor any replacement or lack of it will make a whit of difference if the passive citizens of this country continue to allow the worst of us to rule.
5
Condi Rice rhetoric during her service in the Bush administration aided by John Bolton, such as spreading “ creative chaos” “ New Middle East”, rationalizing killing and violence as the price paid for change and progress. Trump, with knowledge, most likely not, imported all this to his White House, many times with same actors. Most disturbing the authors of such failed doctrines they go hide in think tanks without shame and no courage to come out and defend, debate or repent.
3
Serious question: would a U.S. foreign policy establishment not in chaos be a good thing for the world or for the U.S.? If the gears were whirring along, what positive things would we expect from the authors of American hegemony and military adventurism?
This kind of article, which ducks any stance on the direction and content of foreign policy in favor of a blanket criticism of "chaos," is lazy at best. At worst, it's an endorsement of the "normal functioning" of imperial foreign policy.
2
In some ways, Bolton is even scarier than Trump, and that's really saying something. Not sad to see him go. He is pugilistic, extraordinarily antagonistic, and believes that everyone should bow and scrape before America. Trump believes this too, but his attention span is too short to hold onto a single thought for more than a half-hour, if that.
8
The most important characteristic a President must have is his (or her) ability to evaluate and select people who will be charged with responsibility within the Administration. No President is or can be well-informed about every relevant issue. Therefore it is critically important that a President choose reliably knowledgeable people to provide information and execute policy. Given the very high rate of turnover in Trump's Administration, both voluntary and forced, it is clear that President Trump lacks the ability to evaluate, choose, and retain the people who are absolutely necessary for the safety and well-ordered functioning of our country.
13
The spreading of chaos within the world's largest democracy and doubly so in its interactions with other countries has always been an objective of Russia because they benefit from chaos within the US as a country as well as in US foreign policy.
6
Neither Bolton nor Trump know anything about making political deals that advantage both sides. both wanted their own way, but could not agree on any tactics or goals. They could not even make a deal within the administration they have dominated. I do not understand why Trump chose Bolton as National Security Adviser a position he was not qualified to fill as it required him to work with others except Trump may have seen him on FOX news a few times which Trump obviously thought would qualify him. Well he like so many have gone with the Trump mood of the day and who in their right mind would want to refill a position in the Trump circus.
6
The key underlying principal of Putin’s campaign to lay us low is to encourage mistrust of our mainstream news. The internet itself supports that process so all Putin had to do was tweak divisive posts to that end.
Without a trusted news source we end up divided so completely that a post truth world is an imminent probability if not already upon us.
7
This is set up deliberately by Trump. He repeatedly excludes key figures such as the Secretary of State or NSA. He makes decisions on the fly and announces them in a tweet, surprising his own diplomacy corp or security personnel, even ones out in the field or involved in the actual negotiations.
There is no way of winning, no way of predicting his next action.
The important deals for trade or alliances or weapons control were all negotiated with multiple other countries by top experts and across years. These were discarded by Trump with no notice, mostly out of rancor with President Obama but also with the post-WWII world where alliances saved civilization.
When civilization is gone, a king's whims do not rule.
3
Trump so far seems wary about starting a military conflict. He blusters but when it comes down to it he doesn't seem to want military conflict, probably because it's not something he can manage and control. His meetings with Kim, and willingness to negotiate with the Taliban(!), have a less than 1% chance of bearing fruit and a 100% chance of lending credibility to these regimes on the world stage. This is unfortunate in the longer term, but in the shorter term at least has kept military hostilities from escalating on his watch, which would be a very scary thing indeed. The blowback from his foreign policy theater will likely land in the laps of the next few administrations.
5
He fired the super hawk.
He regrets canceling Camp David Taliban, Ghani meeting. He hoped to sign a historic peace accord.
He imagined Carter-Begin-Sadat, Clinton-Rabin-Arafat scene. He wanted a similar scene for posterity, er…2020 November.
At Camp David he would theatrically nudge them to shake hands. Just like Clinton with Rabin, Arafat. Great on TV!
What did Obama do for the Nobel? NOT being Bush? Look at Trump’s contribution to peace…may be non-war.
Mexico: Good walls make good neighbors. He wants Mexico to feel vested. That is why he wants them to pay.
China: He was very nice to Xi on HK. He didn’t say one word. No human rights. Nobel appreciates it? Nah.
Iran: He does not regime change. When Macron asked him to meet Iranians he said Yes. Obama would have NSC develop position papers, create back channel, finally agree on vague “Commitment for Commitment, Action for Action” dance sequence.
Korea: Did any president ever even meet Kim once? Let alone twice.
Venezuela: Bolton wanted to send 5,000 troops to overthrow Maduro. He said No.
He now gets it about Nobel. You first fight, blow someplace up to smithereens, then make peace.
He will be a war monger.
Next trouble maker in the world is going to get smacked. With “my powerful army”.
Then Trump will make peace.
Then they will give him the Nobel.
Hey Nobel committee, this could have been so painless.
3
The chaos is EXTERNAL because the chaos in Trump is INTERNAL.
Trump is a psychopath.
He must constantly arrange and rearrange personnel and world events—even the weather—so that the world reflects his face.
He does not see himself in a mirror. He wants the world to see, in a mirror, the face of Donald Trump.
He has the world’s strongest economy, the world’s strongest military, and bizarrely enough the white conservative evangelical community to support him in his quest.
Traditional Christian confession would use a different category of Trump, and speak rather of the urges of the anti-Christ.
4
This editorial disingenuously tries to obscure Bolton's connection to Sheldon Adelson. The NYT knows full well that Bolton was forced on Trump, by Adelson, after the previous competent knowledgable and sane National Security Advisor Gen. H.R. McMaster, was deemed insufficiently pro-(Likud) Israel by Adelson and the surviving neocons.
Bolton was stuck in there by Adelson with the express purpose of entangling the former US in a war against Iran. The Americans would fight and die in this war, not Israelis. Bolton was Adelson's and the Likudnik neocons' agent. Bolton thought he could indefinitely thwart Trump and take over former US military by himself, because he had Adelson's backing, and Adelson could tell Trump what to do. He was wrong, thank God.
Instead this disingenuous editorial purports to throw shame on Trump, when he should be praised for removing a disloyal alien influence.
No honest commentary about Trump's firing of the maniac foreign agent Bolton can fail to mention what a fall this is for Adelson and his remaining political agents such as Sen. Tom Cotton, an Adelson and Bill Kristol creation, and for the neocons still clinging to their positions in thinktanks and the MSM.
God willing, their pernicious influence is coming to an well deserved end, and they will be ostracized from the former US. They do not have the former US military to play with anymore, and should they try any more internal coups, they will be put down.
3
To Didier, et al.....Agreed, it is “All madness”....and it has a Diagnostic name..”President” is an unapologetic bonafide
Sociopathic Personality Disorder, including, within his Being,
All of the classic Symptoms....led by his prolific Lying. He is beyond Treatment. We, the People, are in Need of it!
2
Our nation is in a very dangerous place with this administration. We, as a nation, have gone many steps backwards since his inauguration. He and his racist, gullible supporters are doing the rest of us a dangerous and grave disservice.
5
Why would Trump ever need a national security advisor when all he has to do is tune in Fox News and have Tucker Carlson tell him what to do?
6
Not only more TV coverage w DT at the centre but, much more critically, DT’s hometown newspaper with DT in the headline and the subject of editorial comment.
I like the New York Times. You are not fake news. Some of your reporters are among the best in the world.
I do not like Donald Trump. He is a fool, he is a narcissist, he is a danger to democracy.
But your editorial page is way out of line here. Trump has fired a jingoist, and, in doing so, he has decreased the likelihood we will find ourselves in a stupid war.
You have to admit it when a fool does something right. That does not mean that the fool is not a fool.
Get it together, New York Times. Keep your wits about you. Do not let this terrible time in American politics destroy your critical capacities.
2
@vbering
NYT spends too much time dissecting every Trump decision only to come to the same conclusion. That said, it wouldn't have been necessary to fire Bolton had he not been hired in the first place.
3
This so obvious that it hardly merits an Editorial Board piece. How about coming up some good ideas to impeach this clown. Clearly the Democratic Party leadership you support (Pelosi and Schumer) with no question are not doing much in that respect!
3
It is always delightful to see a warmonger hit the dust.
4
Well finally something I agree with, out with the war monger!
The rotten fish, it is said, always stinks from the head first.
2
Give Trump some credit for getting rid of this disaster named Bolton.
1
Peace with Golf.
Just let Trump negotiate deals with Iran and North Korea on building Trump golf resorts in their countries.
1
Photo-op with Taliban and media sensation around Trump signing a surrender deal with the Islamist terror group was more thrilling an experience than firing NSA John Bolton who wanted to black out the dramatic moment.
1
What Donald Trump's Presidency says about an America where among the 63 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump was 58% of the white voting majority including 62% of white men and 54% white women matters more than the John Bolton momentary distraction from smiling and smirking and hacking and meddling Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin.
2
“his mercurial, impatient, crisis-driven approach”—what is missing in this description is what really drives his approach—attention. His bottomless craving for attention. That’s what drove the “secret” Camp David meeting, that’s what drives everything he does. Everyone, please try to remember—this is a sick man with narcissistic personality disorder and he DOES NOT CARE about anything but getting a hit for his addiction to attention.
2
We should start a pool for how long the next person lasts.
3
Frankly, I'm suspicious about "readers" here who make comments such as:
"It's too bad that people make a career out of blindly criticizing Trump no matter what he does. If they would let him do his job great things would happen."
Obviously, op-ed writers are not constraining Trump, who can't get anything done because he has excelled at doing nothing -- except destroying things -- all his life. And I think the NYTimes' forums now are rife with people who are not "Louis" from "Amherst."
5
Trump may like the chaotic drama with him always at the center.
So do our enemies and frenemies, like Putin.
Trump has no internal guardrails and the Constitutionally built in external guardrails are failing.
Trump’s behavior is neither normal nor acceptable.
1
Donald would like his allies (does this guy have allies) and really everyone to deal directly with him, preferably at one of his hotels or golf courses so he can make so money on the side.
2
I’ll be so glad when newspapers no longer have to mention Trump by name.
The world needs a long break from Trump!
1
Americans are weary with EVERY single thing that happens, even arguments about the weather, beinng faked into some kind of attack against the man who has done more for black, Latino, and female employment since World War Two.
@L osservatore
Specifics please?
Being lucky enough to be on a cyclical upswing doesn’t make him any less incompetent.
1
I don't get this critique. Bolton has been viewed as the most hawkish of Trump's senrior advisors, and Bolton has usually been a punching bag of the Times. Trump is more dovish than most recent presidents. Trump is open to diplomacy, albeit with a personal and idosyncratic spin.
No matter what Trump does, the Times clutches its pearls. Such reactions are predictable and reflexive. They do not become the Gray Lady.
2
Best bumper sticker recently: "Elect a clown, expect a circus."
3
A profoundly disturbed man, incapable of planning anything but his next fast food meal. He approaches life like a stray dog meandering down an alley, barking at imaginary fears, licking spilled garbage, and relieving himself on parked cars.
5
Reading between the lines, it is apparent that the NYT's likes Bolton. I personally think he is dangerous and should have never been chosen for the post in the first place. My suspicion is that Trump will be severely punished for this.
It's like Donald Trump can't help himself, even in the most solemn moment, when speaking to remember 9/11; Donald Trump has talk about his stupidity of negotiation with Taliban at Camp David and claiming that under him we have hitting the terrorist in Afghanistan harder than ever before, that's not true, so why say it....that's one of the main problems with Trump, among many.
1
Interesting story, but what caught my eye even before I read the article was the fact the illustrator flipped the image of Bolton's face, and the editors placed this editorial right next to ne with a photo of Bolton's face the right way around. Hmm, creative license is one thing. Getting caught flipping photos of a notable person is another. It was kind of glaring, folks.
Why won’t the House impeach Trump? I blame this all on Nancy Pelosi, who protects him. Nancy, clapping like a trained seal isn’t enough.
3
I admit I'm curious under what rock his replacement will be found.
1
Once you’ve decided to let a monkey drive your car, it doesn’t really matter who’s reading the map to him from the passenger seat.
Chaos will continue, along with attacks on our democratic allies and praise for murderous dictators.
5
One could say it's the best management decision Trump has made, correcting the mistake of naming him in the first place. But given the trajectory, it's likely Bolton's replacement will be another bullhead ideologue swamp toad creature from under a slime rock of lies on which Trump builds his toad army. Our country is now the number one threat to world peace, economic stability, and effective action against world wide problems that cannot be named.
2
This is just another example of the incompetence of the occupant of the Oval Office.
1
Seems crazy to be anything but happy Bolton is gone. Also disappointing NYT is such a fan of overthrowing Venezuela. We're still fighting the war that the worst president in history began. Trump has many people to massacre before he becomes the worst president in history. Seems easy enough to accomplish, don't listen to the NYT.
1
Trump is a joke ; not a monster. Take it from there pundits and the media.
1
Donald Trump chose John Bolton to be his National Security Adviser knowing whom he was choosing. Donald Trump was chosen by the Electoral College in 2016 knowing whom they were electing. So much for American "democracy".
2
Donald trump is unfit for the office of the presidency. he's an intellectual lightweight, immature, narcissistic, and acts impulsively. add to these bad traits, he's corrupt.
3
About John Bolton all I can say is good riddance, his type has caused all the trouble in the world since day one.
2
It doesn't much matter who is the national security adviser, or the secretary of state, or any other actor in the cast of Cabinet jokers appointed by Trump. When you have an acting president more interestedin the acting part than weighing the consequences of his decisions -- as well as thinking he knows more about everything than any of the generals, intelligence chiefs and economic advisers around him -- you have a recipe for disaster. So far he hasn't had a real crisis to test his mettle but he surely will. Our enemies are watching and waiting for the right moment to present him with one.
2
The resignation of Bolton has taken focus away from the Camp David meeting Trump arranged with senior Taliban officials. That's a shame, because the timing and optics of that meeting add further evidence to an aspect of Donald Trump that doesn't get enough attention; his apparent psychopathy. The president appears to be incapable of experiencing empathy. He is forced to guess at what emotion to display during difficult times, and he often guesses wrong. Trump's overpowering desire for the ratings smash of an actual diplomatic win drove him to invite the Taliban to Camp David. The gut-wrenching reality of having the people who harbored al-Qaida after 9/11 on U.S. soil as a party to high level negotiations days before the 18th anniversary of 9/11 was lost on Trump because he doesn't understand why that would be a bad thing. The picture of Trump flashing a smile and thumbs up in El Paso days after a brutal mass shooting shows the same total lack of emotional understanding. In 2013, Trump Tweeted “would like to extend my best wishes to all, even the haters and losers, on this special date, September 11th.” His best wishes? Special day? Trump knows 9/11 is meaningful, but he guesses wrong about what emotion to portray, choosing revelry over sadness.
Many more examples exist. The U.S. president seems incapable of empathy. Is that as troubling to anyone else as it is to me?
5
This newspaper focuses on the process so much more than on the result. Why not write something which analyses the differences between Bolton's views and Trump's views and what is likely to change in America's foreign policy. BTW, I believe the other well known newspaper in New York has an article just like that.
Upon hearing of Bolton's unseemly departure yesterday, I wasn't sure what to think about it.
On the one hand, it felt good, like someone removed the fuse or blasting caps from the dynamite.
On the other hand, the dynamite remains, unguarded.
2
On January 27, 2017, Lamar Smith told the media that the only source of truth was Donald Trump, that he should be the only person citizens should listen to for news.
Thus, began the cult of personality: Mao, Stalin, Castro, and now Trump.
Those who contradict him are punished for telling the truth - i.e, NOAA (Dorian). Trump knows more about every subject than anyone, including weather.
Soon Trump’s theatrics will emulate Mao Zedong’s ‘world-record-breaking’ swim in the Yangtze River.
Soon, he will ride a horse, shirtless like Putin, and his transformation will be complete.
3
This is about Trump wanting to be the center of attention at all times. That is it. A competent, involved National Security Adviser might get attention or credit, and take the spotlight off our very very mentally ill president.
2
If Trump constructs his buildings the way does foreign policy, it’s amazing they’re still standing.
1
Let's say that Trump wins the presidency in 2020
Who is left to be in his administration?
Seriously?
1
Regardless of the chaos, there are worse things than getting rid of a war monger. Thankfully, Trump has not shown any interest in starting a war,... yet.
Whoever thought that being the POTUS would be so complex?
Amazing that the one person who didn't was given the job.
Rex Tillerson was right!
6
I thought it was bad when Bolton came in, and now I think it’s bad when Bolton goes out.
That’s about all there is to say about Donald Trump.
Man, the show has gotten really old.
Bolton's departure won't change a thing. Trump, in his infinite arrogant ignorance, remains oblivious to any counsel...even when it comes from Fox Noise. All Trump wants, and 'needs' (to our horror), are sycophants willing to abide by his lies and outbursts...so to keep their miserable jobs for perhaps another day or two.
1
Whoever becomes the next security advisor better rent a residence, not buy.
1
There's that word again, "mercurial". People seem to use that word to normalize Trump's behavior but when you read "mercurial" synonyms, you understand how completely unfit Trump is to be commander in chief. Synonyms include: volatile, capricious, temperamental, excitable, unpredictable, erratic, inconsistent, unstable, unsteady, kaleidoscopic, moody, flighty, whimsical, giddy, impulsive.
Unlike any employer I ever worked for, no qualifications, minimum education, or gov experience are required to become president. Worse yet, our dysfunctional system makes it impossible to get rid of this pariah for 15 more months.
NYT needs to use appropriate language when describing Trump.
1
I couldn’t agree more that Trump’s purpose as Trump, is to keep the attention on himself. Though a death-like experience for everyone else, it gives him what he needs for being a winner ... in his world view. And he’s “winner” alright! “Necrophilia” is the term for this; and insofar as Trump’s president, it affects us the more. Regrettably, even this NYT editorial contributes to Trump’s game plan for dominance.
I have never been a fan of John Bolton's, period.
However, I'm glad this happened to highlight for the umpteenth time the complete dysfunction and incompetence of Donald Trump and his bizarre leadership behavior.
It's important for everyone to really think about someone like Donald Trump who couldn't see the problem with inviting the Taliban to Camp David to negotiate anything
It makes me wonder if like everything with Donald Trump, does he really get it, does he understand the real meaning of 9/11 and the murder of thousands of innocent Americans in our own country or was it just an event to make Donald Trump's tower one of the highest buildings in New York.
I am convinced after working for 32 years in the DOD and having the highest levels of security clearances, that Donald Trump alone (not discounting Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner) is the Biggest National Security Risk to American today.
2
So we have gone from throwing someone under the bus to defenestration. What Bolton's ouster tells us about Trump is loud and clear. The Trump administration has been nothing more than musical chairs in the cabinet. You cannot disagree with Trump, he is right regardless of what his advisors say. He takes no advice
The Editorial Board's search for reasons to explain the conflicts and behavior of the people appointed to positions of authority within the Executive branch of our Federal government can be traced to a single root cause. The President of the United States acts on whims, gut feelings, impulses, moods, and falsehoods while his supporting cast of all the King's men work feverishly to try to make some sense out of his irrational behaviors. When today's "Up" will be tomorrow's "Down," a consistent and coherent policy is impossible.
Even "Moscow Mitch" is waiting for Trump's signals on what bills he might sign.
Putin no longer just smiles. He falls off his chair laughing at every new episode in the American political soap opera that he personally directed and produced. He looks forward to even more entertaining episodes in the upcoming future season due to come out in 2020.
1
Trump is never going to prevent chaos in his administration, as a matter of preference and self-preservation. Disarray fostered among subordinates, no matter how high-level, is a characteristic ploy of autocrats, to prevent the concentration and coordination of alternatives to one-person rule.
1
Obama worked in conjunction with other major players to establish a "deal" with Iran which was working. Trump (and Bolton) trashed that "deal" and now have a chaotic and dangerous situation brewing in the Middle East.
Likewise, Trump's fascination with placing himself in the center of every foreign negotiation for the TV worthy drama he relishes, is wreaking havoc with actual progress on North Korea and now Afghanistan. We can't take much more "winning".
15
One of the things that intrigues me about Trump's effort to get re-elected in the face of an absolutely disastrous presidency is his reliance on a "strong economy." I don't know how strong the economy is or will be (certainly my retirement account is bouncing around like a pogo stick), but there seems to be an odd assumption that I have yet to see him challenged on, which is that (here goes...) "ONLY I can give you a strong economy." And I do not understand why that's anyone's assumption. (Well, anyone but Trump.) If we want to attribute this sort of thing specifically to a president, Obama pulled the economy out of the dumpster after George W Bush tanked it and set it on its current upward path. And I imagine any of the democratic candidates could have an equally positive impact on the economy going forward, and should say so. Plus, they bring the added benefit of being much better equipped to do every other thing we might expect of a president than the current bumbler.
7
Chaos will always reign with Trump as President because unlike other Presidents, Trump's real "advisors" are not in the White House and don't work for him - they work for the FOX network.
13
Trump thrives on chaos. His style is to taunt friends and enemies alike. He uses derisive nicknames for political opponents domestically. He is sarcastic and insulting toward world leaders whether traditional allies or long term American enemies. But he is consistent on one thing only. No taunts,no nicknames and no insults about his friend Putin. He treats Putin with more respect than his domestic adversaries. WHY? What does Putin have on Trump that keeps Trump under control and disciplined? And that is the great unknown.
13
What was Trump thinking by inviting the Taliban, a religious extremist pack of vicious murderers, to Camp David while we remember 9/11? Bolton apparently wondered about that aloud and was Twitter fired.
Does Trump so want to wrap up a campaign promise of getting us out of Afghanistan that he would ignore the sacrifice so many of our military made there so he can have a photo op and declare a victory? Would he have toured them through Arlington for the visuals?
Peace talks should be done with diplomats in a neutral country not by someone who defines everything and everyone by what he personally gains from the encounter.
9
This is the Bombast Presidency. Trump dresses his administration with soundbite trolls like Bolton, suitable only for a Fox audience that relishes scandal and "get tough" trash talk. There has never been any real substance about getting rid of the swamp. Like Trump, destruction is his administration's calling card as Trump and his so-called supporters seek opportunities to enrich themselves on the backs of others. That's all Trump understands and wants. There is no thought about much else.
The reality tripped over daily by Trump and staff is that effective governance requires visible stability, intelligence, managerial skills, people skills, and a demonstrable ethical core that exalts facts over fiction.
This Bolto fiasco is just another iteration of our national experience of having dangerous ineptitude in office. Other than the tax break for the 1% and other special interest moves that have wounded global climate initiatives that would have begun to support our changing economy for future generations, this administration has been a total waste of our time and treasury.
6
Should Trump receive credit for firing a man he shouldn't have hired in the first place? I think not. If DJT doesn't destroy our fragile democracy, he has published the blueprint and playbook for some other demagogue to do it later. If a democracy like America's is going to exist, there will have to be a paradigm shift in human thought throughout the world. In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is important and what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for dirty tricks and destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of us all. When we understand this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
1
Donald Trump — a weak, indecisive, and cowardly man — craves to be admired as a strongman. He cozies up to foreign dictators, but padding his own administration with forceful individuals has repeatedly led to failure. They refuse to crawl on their bellies to appease their master.
Trump already sees himself as the planet's greatest dealmaker, thanks to inherited money and the talents of the accountants and attorneys who have made him rich but stayed in the background and let him take all the credit. Now he wants to bring his vision of ruling the world to fruition. But he cannot keep the likes Bolton, Tillerson, Mattis, McMaster, etc. out of the news. Or under his thumb. Love them or hate them, these men thought for themselves and tried to do their jobs as they thought was right. But the only 'right' for Trump is his own present whim.
Our country has been shamed and weakened. To quote the president, "Sad."
3
How to stay in your position in Trump's administration:
1. Never get your name in the media. Trump must always be center stage in the spotlight.
2. Never disagree with Trump even when he lies and spouts false information.
3. Flatter and fawn over Trump every minute of every day. Anything less than complete servility is disloyalty.
Does this sound like a mandate for ineffectiveness?
3
Trump has demonstrated over and over his poor judgement and inability to make sound decisions.
Just look at all the chaos we see coming out of this Whitehouse on a daily basis, even hourly. Trump's erratic behavior has now become the biggest threat to our country's future.
2
Trump makes decisions based on his (very ample) gut. He doesn’t need anyone to agree with him although the many sycophants he surrounds himself with do say they agree with him to stay in his good graces. He’s greedy, malicious and cares about nobody but himself and his bloated image. I can’t wait until 2020 for his bubble to burst.
1
In a bizarre, but promising dream last night. I was in a boxing ring with Donal Trump, I was wearing normal sized blue boxing gloves, he had on a pair of extra small red ones. Before the bell rang, he sucker punched me, the fight was on. I threw a left hook into his ribs, he took a swing at me below the belt. I punched him in the gut, he kicked me in the shins. All of a sudden the GOP senate was in the ring helping him, I started sparring with them all, Mitch refused to do his job and ran, Graham fell to the mat and started whining, Trump closed his eyes, threw a wild punch that was way off target, and knocked the remaining GOP down like dominoes. I gave one last power punch to Trump, he went down, he was out cold.
All of a sudden there was a sense of calm, the polluted air was cleared, the grass and trees turned a beautiful green, our allies cheered and welcomed us back to reality, our biggest foes cowered in the corner sobbing at their loss. There was a sigh of relief heard around the world, the age of Trump chaos was over.
Now this was just a dream, but if we all vote blue in 2020 it could become reality.
4
The Apprentice. That's all you need to know about John Bolton. He performed his little "assignments," sometimes well, sometimes badly. But in the end, Trump stuck his thumb in Bolton's eye and said: "You're fired!" That's all you need to know. Everything else is chaos - and a little man in a job so very much bigger than himself.
3
The media continues to act as though Trump had a working intellect. He doesn't. Those who blindly follow him lack the capacity to think for themselves.
4
Trump's narcissistic personality disorder will not tolerate anyone in his circle that does not cater to his every whim and thought. Hannity and our lying sec of commerce and toady AG are the only ones that can survive in Trump's snake pit of a cabinet. Trump wants to call back our Russian spies to please Putin as it is obvious he is compromised by Putin and totally beholden ,witness the smile and glow on his face when Putin comes into view. Putin is Trump's role model and hero and his puppet master . Main reason we need to get rid of Trump is our national security has been sold out to Putin by Trump.
Trump has so numbed us to his outrageous conduct that if he nominated Vladimir Putin for National Security Advisor, McConnell would push through the Senate conformation, and America would not bat an eyelash.
1
I'm no Trump fan, but I'm very glad to be rid of Bolton, very glad. There is a lot of chaos, but in this instance, he tossed a war monger, which is good for all.
1
i used to think i would be as silly as anyone else when i met a truly famous person until Mr.Trump came along. This woman would cry.
1
I am torn between leaving Afghanistan. The country has a difficult history and was already a mess before the western invasion of 2001. But this complicated the situation and what did we do to help stabilize the country? So after 18 years we just walk away and say you are on your own?
I am deeply concerned with making “peace” with the Taliban because of the history it has of mistreating the Afghani people.
And what happened to the US policy of not negotiating with terrorists? Oh, yeah the stable genius is in charge.
The stable genius admires some of the nastiest people on earth. He has chummy relationships with Putin, Kim, Duterte, MbS and now the Afghani Taliban. He claims to get beautiful letters from Kim. I can’t wait to see what adjectives he’ll use to describe the letters he’ll receive from the Taliban leaders once they become his friends.
1
US foreign policy has been been responsible for mass deaths and destruction in countries too far away from us and too weak to have ever posed a real threat to our country and our people. Bolton's foreign policy goes hand in hand with US military actions and the euphemistically called "defense budget” exceeds that of the combined budgets of the next half dozen countries including Russia, China, Iran & North Korea. There's one thing I do appreciate though; he's dropped all the pretense and portrays the US as it really is & has been for as long as I can remember: a rogue gangster state that is only interested in extortion, from friends and foes alike. After Europe (friend) Canada (friend) Mexico (friend) Japan, South Korea (friends), Russia, China (perceived foes), comes Iran that is told in no uncertain terms: "Unless you pay me, I will attack you".
Gangsters R us (US) and Bolton is not bothered to hide the obvious.
1
We are so sick as a nation. Will we be able to recover?
4
Why did Trump hire him in the first place? Bolton was one of architects of the disastrous Iraq War. I am glad that Bolton is out of the White House, however. The man is a war-monger.
This article said exactly nada. What new information did it add to the conversation? I would have written it with the proper slant of Bolton a war monger was too much even for Trump.This article was too milquetoast. I would have said that it is good Bolton is gone because the world is safer with one less maniac governing us. The article talks about Trumpian chaos which obfuscates the reality. That is the wrong word: it should be idiocy. If you are trying to make peace, and hire a war monger it is not chaos, it is idiotic.
1
Not clear why the Times and others continue to say Trump has a "zest for chaos" and "likes it this way." This is just the best he can do, and shows well how unqualified he is to lead the nation. Pity us should we have another crisis on the scale of 9/11 while he's in charge.
2
My favorite word, defenestration!
These men are both dangerous, it is hard to determine which is, was worse--let's defenestrate the other too.
Safest course of action.
Let's not forget that in 2011 and 2012 trump tweeted 3 times that President Obama would start a war with Iran in order to get re-elected. Now I'm betting that trump will himself start a war - if not with Iran, then Venezuela.
1
45 even argues with the weather. Why would we expect him to 'get along' or cooperate with anyone or anything?
3
What has this paper and Democrats come down to? In order to criticize Trump they are willing to decry Bolton's ouster? Is this madness? Are they standing by Bolton now in order to hit Trump? We are heading down a cliff.
1
I worked in the past with this kind of person who trive in chaos , the more the better , putting one person against another , division make them the vainqueur , at the end of the day your article said it: no matter who is taking the job , competent , professional or charlatan , it doesn't matter , this man and his close circle don't have an education with foreign policy , trump is tribal and ivanka's voice is the only voice that he recognize.
1
Ignore Donald J. Trump!
God, bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her,
And guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam,
God, bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her
And guide her
Through the night with a light from above
From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America
My house sweet house
God bless America....
My home sweet home!
Who's the lesser of two evils this time? Bolton or Trump? The former is just the latest casualty in an embarrassing, ongoing series of 'leadership' fiascos. The latter is the cause. Dissent has no place in today's administration. Love it or leave it. But just make sure it's your choice not his, as Secretary Mattis did.
Let's do everything we can to reverse this dysfunction that's destroying our democracy as soon as we can.
Vote.
3
You are giving Trump too much credit. Bolton and Trump are the product of Republican engineering.
Today is the 18th anniversary of 911. W dropped the ball and used the pretense to the score for daddy - he might have believed in Cheney but his reliance on the latter in the early years of his tenure was entirely his choice! - when senior Bush and Clinton had the foresight to let it slide.
The neocons wanted the wars and the tea partiers and their predecessors wanted money. They got them both, in spite of the peace dividend America had enjoyed under Clinton because of the cultural reactionaries.
Bolton and Trump don't come from a vacuum. Their coming and going belong to a greater mosaic of how the Republicans and their enablers have wrecked this country. People should understand that
5
A good move Mr. President. The only thing wrong is that apparently he will be replaced by the only person in this country that could possibly be a worse national security advisor, the
Donald himself.
3
Well expressed, but you failed to mention that the POTUS has the support of millions of American voters who will gladly vote for him because in their eyes he can do no wrong.
1
Trump hired Bolton for two reasons: He was on FOX. He was hated by Democrats.
As time passed, Trump noticed two things: Bolton was no longer on FOX. Democrats were hoping Bolton would be the adult in the room, all other adults being long gone.
No reasons remained for having Bolton in the administration.
5
Trump's like a library patron who pulls books from the shelf because he likes the dust cover, begins reading them, finds them most uncongenial, slams them shut and returns them to the library only to repeat the process on his next visit to the library.
I think Mr. Bolton's mistake was thinking that the president was interested in what was happening in the world aside from the way in which is supported his image and desire to get re-elected.
While I probably disagree with most of the positions that Mr. Bolton holds, I do think he was trying to do the job, which he was unable to do because the job he was hired for (to make the president look good) was not the job he tried to do.
1
much like the child that he is, trump eventually gets bored with the toys that no longer amuse or interest him. he now reigns supreme over the toy box of our foreign policy, filled with the toys that he broke because he couldn't understand how they work.
6
How Trump's base bought the myth that Trump was a brilliant businessman is beyond me. This guy could take a McDonald's into bankruptcy.
6
Trump wants a win on diplomacy to bolster his re-election. Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize because Obama has one. Other than that, he cares nothing about any of these deals much less the details of them. He may fall into a deal somewhere with some adversary but it won't be because there was a well executed plan.
1
Bolton is just the latest, and surely not the last, body summarily tossed out The White House window into its burgeoning political graveyard. As much as I didn't like Bolton's hawkish views, his firing shows that Trump's narcissism can only tolerate sycophants and "yes men/women." A "team of rivals" offering differing points of view never will be found near Donald Trump for very long where disagreement amounts to disloyalty, to disapproval and ultimately to discharge. And, that is why the chorus of groupthinkers now surrounding an erratic, unstable Trump is more and more a disaster waiting to happen.
1
Are there any adults willing to be in the same room?
2
@JMT
They are all adults. Adults that will split hairs over moral issues, twist their integrity into knots, and find honesty just another burden to jettison.
@Fortitudine Vincimus.
Your statement “our newly restored military which is the most powerful in the world” displays your total ignorance of the reality that the US has, for decades, spent more on its military than the next seven or nine countries COMBINED, and has since World War II been the most powerful military on the planet.
You have fallen for the empty rhetoric of politicians and arms manufacturers who hope to gain power and profit by stoking fears that the US military is falling into disrepair.
Our military failures since WWII have been failures of vision and leadership, not of military power. Trump’s “newly restored military” can’t win in the Middle East and Southwest Asia any more than the military that came before.
The problem isn’t troops or hardware, it’s strategy and leadership. Trump possesses neither, and refuses to listen to those who do.
8
You are so right on with your comments!
In terms of "advising this president"—
Here is an ultimate truth regarding Trump:
No matter who "briefs" or "advises" or "informs" him, Trump remains uninformed. Profoundly uninformed.
10
As much as I am generally horrified by Trump and his policies, I give him credit for not blowing up the world, (yet).
4
Donald Trump will never change. This editorial correctly states in its concluding sentence that “[This] just amounts to more drama, more suspense, more television coverage — all of it with Donald Trump at the center.”
We should be glad to see John Bolton gone – the reckless firebrand has no business holding any position of power in the government.
The fundamental problem remains. We have a self-absorbed president with an inability or impatience to grasp complex issues and an irresistible need to be the heroic lone gunslinger bringing order and justice out of the chaos he has created.
Donald Trump also appears to be a very corrupt man who has chosen to partner with other corrupt men like Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud.
The Saudi leader is particularly relevant today when we recall the Wahhabi extremists who planned the attacks of September 11, 2001, and selected, trained and financed the young men who executed those terrible attacks.
2
Trump's not interested in advice that is seen by others as advice. In his mind, it shows weakness. Stephen Miller knows this and has survived. Others, not so much.
There's no room on stage for anyone else. It's too threatening for one with terminal insecurity.
2
This is NOT about chaos. This is about Trump trying to work a deal with our enemies. If Bolton was obstructionists in his attitude he deserves to go. What the heck if Trump can work a deal with the Taliban, North Korea, and Iran, why not?
No one has ever had the courage or the willingness to meet with our enemies and try to work a deal.
It's too bad that people make a career out of blindly criticizing Trump no matter what he does. If they would let him do his job great things would happen.
36
@Louis No one is stopping him from doing his job. On the contrary. All his deals fall apart. He doesn't have the attention span or stamina, even for an American leader.
383
@Louis
I too believe that Mr. Trump has tried to "work deals" with our enemies - but I am apparently more concerned than you are about the types of deals he wants to work. I'm thinking, Russia?
But even if he truly has the intent to try to bring peace to troubled areas of the world, why would he not try to learn more about who the leaders are, the history of the conflicts, etc. so that he would know what he is up against. Why not consult with the best minds and most knowledgeable people before rushing in?
You believe that he is being prevented from accomplishing things. It seems to me that he gets in his own way a great deal by making impulsive decisions (e.g. tweeting insults) and not approaching situations with the proper diplomacy.
Then, when things fall apart, he loses interest and/or fires someone. This is not effective leadership.
409
@Louis; Who has not "let Trump do his job"? Who is stopping him? No one is able to rein Trump in. So what has Trump got to show from nearly three years in office in terms of international relations? Three years of negotiations with NK, for what? Eighteen months negotiations with the Talaban, for what? Three years talk about Syria, Iran, Cuba, for what?
Please tell me who is this incredible person or people are who are stopping Trump from doing great things.
234
"No matter who advises this president, chaos will reign." Very true.
This president is no president. He is literally a TV show, "Center of Attention." The show plays nonstop 24/7. "Center of Attention" writes his own scripts on Twitter with only one objective: what will grab an audience by their ....?
Many in the audience are reveling in delight. They are thrilled with the epidemic dysfunction. With each episode they laugh with derision at the latest member of the administration to be skewered. They look forward to who's next. They are immensely proud of how "Center of Attention" is making America great...great bully, great meanness, great foil to decency and on and on...
Many more hate this show with a passion. But are unable to escape being part of the audience. (Thank you GOP.) We have all been grabbed by our.... We are being violated by "Center of Attention," while the GOP laughs at us and the Constitution.
Chaos is only a plot technique on the "Center of Attention" show. So yes, no matter who advises "Center of Attention," chaos will reign. It's good for his ratings.
11
Wouldn't it be simpler, more economical and equally efficacious, to immediately fire the entire remaining (faux) Cabinet and swear in cardboard cut-outs with Sharpie-drawn faces?
15
Many pundits are saying that, despite his abhorrent views, Bolton was right this time when he opposed negotiating with the Taliban at Camp David. Well, a broken clock is right twice a day, so Bolton, who always opposed negotiations and peaceful solutions to everything, came out right on this one. Don't regret losing a national security advisor who ached for the opportunity to go to war.
8
"The least interesting is the question of who will succeed him on the parapet".
Actually, this is not the least interesting question, for several reasons: First, will Trump be able to find someone to take Bolton's place? Second, since Trump doesn't, himself, come up with the names of people to serve as his advisers, will whoever in the innermost circle of the Trump menagerie (Kushner, Miller?) decided that hiring Bolton would be a great idea learn from that mistake? Third, how much input, if any, will Mike Pompeo have during the process of hiring Bolton's replacement, and what will that hiring process say about Pompeo's power? Fourth, what odds will the Las Vegas bookmakers be giving on (1) how long it will take to find Bolton's replacement, and (2) whether Bolton's replacement will last longer than 6 months?
4
Agreed, but doesn't Trump / Pompeo / Bolton (particularly the fact that Pompeo and Bolton rarely spoke) serve as an indictment of what the role of National Security Advisor has become?
Although the word is in the title, shouldn't job the National Security Advisor be to act as an honest, neutral broker who brings together the information and recommendations provided by the State Department, National Security and the military -- pointing out where they agree and where they differ and, when necessary, helping bring them to consensus?
Bolton was never right for the job because he has such strong and unwavering opinions but he isn't unique and the way he was used (and ultimately ignored then fired) is not unique to Trump. But it seems like the country would be better served if the position was returned to its original intent -- something that certainly will have to wait until Trump is no longer in office.
4
Trump always blames someone else when his negotiations fail.
Who will Trump blame when his trade negotiations with China break down? Xi Jinping will demand more than he concedes, and since he doesn't have to worry about reelection, people's suffering won't be that big a factor for him.
9
I'm sure glad he fired John Bolton and that he's out of the way. He was a dangerous figure to have around. It is him that needed bounding. Whatever effect he may or may not have had on Trump, his hand in foreign policy was deleterious. I'm applaud his parting, however it took place.
2
Mr Bolton had fixated opinions on Iran, Taliban ,EU etc . He has been a disaster on foreign policy of the US . But what was the POTUS doing? Trump as the President is supposed to seek opinions from advisors , then apply his mind and function as the head of a responsible democratic country. Instead what we got from Trump was a man of shallow understanding of most affairs of the world. Anything he touched turned out wrong. He aligned with Saudi regime, despot Kim , Russia and countless people in the US who are now inside prisons all of which for sensible people looks unlike what America stood for. I don't think a course correction will be seen from this President. Which brings the decision making to the citizens of America how to get back to the roots of democracy.
9
Better Trumpian 'chaos' then the predictable, reliable and constant war-making brought to us by pre-Trump foreign policy and singed-off on by the well-functioning National Security Council. As Trump continues to keep us out of unnecessary and costly wars abroad, it is harder and harder to begrudge his foreign policy. The results speak for themselves. And it could have been so much worse.
1
Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it. Keep in mind that there’s still over a year left in this presidency for the chaos to lead to new international conflicts. The only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because world leaders are confused about what US policy and direction truly are. As am I.
2
Trump is at "the center" because he is host of the show. Despots like Kim Jong Un make good "celebrity" co-hosts. Trump wants his staff to be loyal to him in his role as show host, and the script must reflect a win for Trump, and good press for Trump.
7
Saying that, "No matter who advises this president, chaos will reign" is something of a syllogism. You might as well say, "In a tornado, there will be wind."
Any analysis of the President's relationship with his advisers must presume a simple clinical fact. Narcissists -- whether or not they cross the DSM-V's boundary into full-blown Personality Disorder -- perceive any offers of help or advice as attacks. Advice for or (heaven help us) criticism of narcissists directly contradicts the very core of their self-image -- complete infallibility.
As a result, this President's advisers are never off a tightrope under which there is no net. We have seen it over and over again. In order to fulfill their jobs' purpose, they must constantly do the thing that most enrages him. Try to imagine a job where you go to work every day, do your job flawlessly, and, in doing so, completely infuriate your boss.
9
@Sagebrush A perfect illustration of trump's "personality disorder" is "Sharpiegate". The Birmingham office of the NWS issued a correction of trump's statement that Hurricane Dorian was heading towards Alabama because worried people were calling them, re. necessary preparations. (IT WAS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.) But trump refuses to admit his error (he was looking at old charts and briefs from before the hurricane made a turn) and keeps dwelling on it. HE CANNOT EVER ADMIT HE MADE A MISTAKE.
6
The primary objective of every Trump appointee is to destroy the agency that they work for. Bolton was no exception.
13
Trump wants to do as he wants and in his mind does not even need advisors. He is, after all, "a stable genius," "the chosen one."
14
The last paragraph of this piece sums up our national predicament, well: This person, acting as the leader of a nation, utilizes chaos in a constant, ham fisted way to continually flummox any and all who try to keep up, the ultimate goal being to keep the focus firmly on himself.
Tragically for the fate of our now fragile democracy, it’s working for him.
11
The supposition has been to discern what overall plan with some sort of reasonable logic involved is it that drives President Trump in his actions. If there is anything consistent and obvious in his moves it is in the elements of surprise and shock that keeps the attention of the world and the nation as a bright spotlight of attention on Trump alone. There is no question as to the overall direction of his efforts which is to greatly worsen the possibilities for the world’s future for general human decency and rational function. But there is no doubt that, as a frightening showman, he keeps the world watching.
4
Trump ran on his agenda. Unfortunately, finding conservatives willing to meet his campaign promises is hard. He should not delegate policy decisions to people with their own agendas. This president is determined to keep his promises to the people who elected him. He has filled positions of policy with people who had their own existing agendas, recommended by other conservative advisors. He should fire everyone that has different goals. They weren’t elected to do the same things promised by other politicians in the past. He shouldn’t rely on hawks of the past as his advisors. Trump shouldn’t compromise. Advice is one thing, but disagreeing on the most critical decisions is another. Advisors should explain options, and the consequences, not determine the policies of the president. Until he can find people committed to his agenda, he should continue to replace advisors with agendas to form policies he got elected to achieve. It will take another four years to drain the swamp. Trump will find the right people. It is just taking more time to find capable people who have spent their lives there.
1
It’s funny. Trump isn’t successful because he hasn’t found the right representatives to carry out his elected agenda. Well it’s been 3 years and it’s chaos. More excuses. Worst human being and American President ever.
Do you mean find capable minions to complement the Trump regime?
Laughable. So you are saying trump filled the swamp that he is draining? Your boy chose each of the people he ended up pretending to fire by tweet. Your boy promised he knew all the best people. Where did all the Generals go? Nonsense.
1
From this description, nobody has any real power to do anything, without taking it to Trump, and none of them even know for sure what Trump will do when they take it to him.
That is chaotic. It does not make for any sustained policy on anything. However, it makes Trump as powerful as possible.
He ran his businesses the same way. They may have gone into bankruptcy, but he remained firmly in charge.
This method is known to history, for other leaders who used it. None good ones to whom anybody would want comparison.
10
Once more Mr. Trump has become unhappy with too much media attention on one of his people, regardless of the nature of the attention (positive or negative). To him, that is unacceptable, as he consider himself to be the only one deserving to be the center of attention of media as well as everything else.
2
But the firing of John Bolton was a good move for the wrong reasons. Under any assessment of Bolton's record past and more recent, he should not only be fired, but indicted for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.
But his firing should be an opportunity to ask the important questions that we never seem to get answers for. And not just from Trump, Bolton or Pompeo.
America has been at war for 19 years. Why?
Why have we spread the illegal Iraqi war into Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen?
Why have we attempted to expand war and conflict to Iran and Venezuela?
Why has the "Asian pivot" prepared America for war with China?
When are we going to have a national dialogue about those "national interests" that are always used to justify these wars?
There are powerful interest in Washington that discuss these issues all the time. But they do so mostly behind closed doors or conferences that are seldom covered by the media.
Yet, we are scheduled to spend nearly a trillion dollars on military and military related costs this year, 8,000 troops remain in Afghanistan, thousands more are deployed in the Middle East and Africa, and the CIA is very busy in country's like Columbia and Venezuela.
Making war is the most serious act of a nation. This is why that power was entrusted to congress, not a president. And in a democracy congress is supposed to report to the people.
After 19 years I'm still waiting for that report.
6
We should be celebrating the firing of Mr. Bolton. He is responsible for killing the INF treaty. He was proposing to go into war against Iran, intervening in Venezuela, defending unilateralism, building more nuclear bombs, and others. The best new we got in some time.
3
@J. Parula
I agree, and after each of all the people who have been fired or quit there is always someone worse taking their place.
1
And yet through it all: no new wars, no new conflicts, and many olive-branches towards peace with some of the world's most dangerous and reviled entities --- NK, the taliban, Iran (where the President displayed great restraint,) etc...
Add in our newly-restored military which is the most powerful in the world, and, the end MORE than justifies the means.
I always liked and respected JB and it pains me to see his expertise depart.
But, it would appear thus far, there may be alternative approaches in certain hot-spots that may generate (possible) more peaceful outcomes, or in the least, a de-escalation of violence and threats to Western Civ.
2
The most consequential threat to “western civ” is this administration’s willful ignoring of our technological assault on the planet’s biosphere. Alignments with tinpot dictators whose egos hold sway over our future’s air, water, sustainability is not an accomplishment. It is a crime against humanity. Trump cannot and will not see the reality of anything except money.
For the man in the Oval Office, it’s his own version of the the Highlander franchise.
In the end, there can be only Trump.
2
Why should the president hire anyone to fill this position? As a self-described extremely stable genius who knows more than the generals, there is no need for Trump to bring on another individual who lasts 15 months (at most) and then find him/herself out of a job by either agreeing too much with Trump or disagreeing with him (or Jared and Ivanka) too much.
If Trump insists on filling the position, then the final screening committee should include his media (kitchen) cabinet of Hannity, Carlson, Coulter and Limbaugh. They, Jared and Ivanka are the real power behind Trump's throne. But don't take my word for it. Just ask Tillerson, McMaster, Mattis, Haley, Sessions, Kelly, Priebus, Nielsen, et al.
10
It's a fundamental law of political magnetism: bad presidents attract bad advisors.
10
Keep everybody off balance. Friends and enemies alike.That is how Trump ran his real estate company.That is his modus operandi.How long can America and the world survive the erratic and unhinged Trump style?
8
@Milton Lewis Reagan was the beginning of the end. This guy is the end
18 people have come and gone in trump's inner circle. All that in less than two years!
Is that a great accomplishment, or someone who actually thinks he is the second coming of Caesar?
This farce of a president is a clear and present danger to the U.S. and its interest.
He never takes responsibility for anything, but blames and fires his minions.
In jolly Old England they simply would lop of heads.
Another way of looking at it is a one ring circus, and his own party is afraid of him. Even the career politicians!
Is it the money string the billionaires pull who thank trump for the tax breaks that they throw at repubs to cower, at the nation's expense?
5
“No matter who advises this president, chaos will reign.”
What else is there to say? The president is like the the saying “a chain is only as good as it’s weakest link” and Trump is the weak link certainly. Trump is the leopard that can’t(won’t) change his spots. He does not want anyone else to get credit. Trump mostly gets ridicule. He deserves it.
5
I really fear that Trump will either bumble into or deliberately wade into a war with a nation (take your pick) so the nation in its dimwitted state will elect him to finish the war.
9
I would not be surprised if the drumbeat starts before the end of the year or early next year. Maybe an occupation of Greenland? Not sure if Dear Leader has the stomach for another protracted conflict elsewhere in the world.
. . . and the republican congress is where?
9
This is an ominous trio that will persist: Trump, Pompeo, and the next National Security Adviser. It is a fool's errand to think Bolton's replacement will do anything to stabilize chaotic and ineffective policies re our national protection and safety and international interactions. And the Republicans use to and continue to impugn President Obama? If this weren't such an absurd exercise, it would be laughable. Where do we start with this group? North Korea, Afghanistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, all of these have been diplomatic disasters which have only threatened our democracy, or rather what is left of it. Add to the mix the alienating of our European allies. It is looking clearer daily: Trump will listen to no one. His entire political life revolves around his pathological ego and profound ignorance. It is one thing after another, one more egregious act after another. And no one can rein him in. Correction: No one WILL rein him in. Pathetic and disgraceful.
10
Speaking of Kaos, that crowd would make Siegfried and Starker look like a couple of ruthlessly cunning operatives.
1
It doesn't matter who is Trump's National Security Advisor,, since he has no notion of the nation , its security or foreign policy.. Far more dangerous is Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. We need another Gail Collins column with him in the rnning for worst Cabinet secretary
5
But the Editorial Board does not stand innocent of its last paragraph charge of involvement. Is there no way for the Fourth Estate to recover from this presidency to its esteemed role in society?
John Bolton always thought himself the smartest man in the room. Never popular among those who worked with him. Bolton came out early in favor of Trump's so-called policy ideas (these policies actually do not exist and never have).
Was he looking for a job? That appears to be the case given Trump's hiring criteria - loyalty and royal behind kissing.
What Bolton learned (while continuing to consider himself the smartest man in the room) is that Trump, the single most ignorant bigot and narcissist alive, is that Trump could care less about what Bolton knew or thought he knew. Bolton was a prop like everyone else in Trump world.
Meanwhile, Trump's father Fred was arrested at a Klu Klux Klan meeting, lied about being German, pretending to be Swedish, whose mother's maiden name was Christ. Fred did not rent to blacks and Woody Guthrie wrote a song, a tenant of Fred's wrote a song about the Trump bigotry and racism. Make sense?
6
“I know better than my generals.”
— Donald J. Trump, multiple draft dodger with proven small hands and unproven bone spurs
It’s either Jared or Ivanka who will fill the shoes of Bolton.
That’s how third world dictators roll.
My bet is on Jared as Ivanka will be Trump’s running mate in the polls. (Attention Mike Pence, it’s just Trump 2020 now and your name is nowhere in sight.)
The amazing thing to behold is that the number of presidential appointees kicked out of the White House is already at 69, a turnover that is bigger than a local McDonald’s at the end of summer.
Now, the good news about Ivanka being the new security advisor is that her vetting will go smoothly with Putin.
Keep ‘Merica Great!
4
@Opinioned! My guess is that trumpovitch will be saving Ivanka for 2024. He'll follow the path of a lot of dictators and put up a show of obeying the terms limits while having Ivanka run for President and be his puppet.
Sound impossible? Really??
let's be real. Trump is only looking to score another hit on Obama. He wants that Nobel.
4
Maybe the chaos rests in the polluted & corrupt Washington veterans that others believe are experts. They’ve been there for decades, ‘leading’ us to isolation & $22 trillion of debt. There are no capable & honest statesman in Washington DC. Instead we just have a gaggle of hookers & johns, with a few cockroaches & parasites for the side show.
The American president is a fool.
The American president is incompetent.
The American president is dangerously disturbed.
His personality and character makeup were on full display long before he began his unpatriotic assault upon an American president.
America then proceeded to elect Donald Trump as its president. We knew who and what he was. Enough of us did not care. The fly saw the spider and flew into its web anyway.
That Donald Trump is the American president says more about us than it does him. He’s not to blame. We are.
35
It sounds like you are unhappy that Trump isn’t plunging us into yet another regime change operation in Venezuela. In general you seem upset that he isn’t a more competent, steady sort of warmonger.
3
But till yesterday, John Bolton was immersed in this "chaos"... How he accepted to be part of the the "chaos" for long time?
Isn't this the person that said he only hires the best people? You'd be crazy to hire DT to run your HR department.
2
The Comments section of any article used to contain ,maybe 20%,defending Trump. Now it is essentially Zero, I hope this is a good sign.
5
What John Bolton's ouster says about this "president" is that he will do literally anything to consolidate absolute power.
For the past three years Trump has done nothing but hire any number of military men, hawks, and sycophants who were, at least for a time, willing to toady to him. And he used them like cheap violins. He let them take the heat for his disastrous foreign policy, and propped them up to hide behind when it served his interests.
Three years on, Trump now understands that he answers to literally no one. He has not filled the empty cabinet seats in his "administration" - nor does he intend to. These former members, his "useful idiots" played their role - and after they did, Trump discarded them like cheap dishrags.
Now he understands that he has the Senate as a "show parliament" and a Supreme Court with five members who will toady to his every whim. He knows this means that he is literally untouchable. He is limited only by his imagination and the laws of physics.
This supposedly "independent" Supreme Court has kowtowed to him for his Muslim Ban and for his ridiculous "wall".
His threats have already started - such as those against the NOAA employee for doing something as benign as telling the truth.
As for the rest of Trump's cabinet? They are simply stand-in players for the rest of us - symbols to show us that Trump may do anything he likes to any of us. Bolton's ouster is nothing more than this "president" reminding us that we answer to him personally.
507
@Donegal Yes, but for all the presumed power, how does he wield it? Mostly to tear things down, withdraw from treaties, and commandeer DoD budget to build a senseless wall. Those actions are not the manifestation of power in a democracy.
40
@Donegal No Trump apologist am I, but I think it a stretch to jump from the release of the scowling, cantankerous John Bolton to a Trumpian "absolute consolidation of power". I agree with the Editorial Board about the sense of chaos with these firings, but I don't believe there is some nefarious cabal happening. That scenario would suggest a patient thoughtfulness, and reasoning, and those attributes are not present in the White House
9
@A Imagine the danger we'd be in if he had a clue, process or real agenda other than racism
15
We need a way to prepare a President-elect to take the reigns of office. Suppose the interval from the election date to the inauguration was set at four years. And during this four-year interval the President-elect was the recipient of mandatory schooling to learn to be the President. This idea is not so far fetched. There are models for training leaders. I had a distant maternal relative, Christian Goldbach, who was given the job of creating a curriculum for members of the Russian royalty in the late 1700s. His prescribed coursework was taught for 100 years. (Just a thought.)
1
The American Physical Society rotates its elected leaders through various positions on a schedule so that when they reach the top they are ready.
2
The most important characteristic a President must have is his (or her) ability to evaluate and select people who will be charged with responsibility within the Administration. No President can arrive well-informed about every relevant issue. Therefore it is critically important that a President choose reliably knowledgeable people to provide information and execute policy. Given the very high rate of turnover in Trump's Administration, both voluntary and forced, it is clear that President Trump lacks the ability to evaluate, choose, and retain the people who are absolutely necessary for the safety and well-ordered functioning of our country.
6
We have our own DMZ. A demoralized zone. It encompasses all of DC and has spread to much of the nation.
12
"The White House may be in turmoil, alliances may be trembling and adversaries may be seeking advantage, but that all just amounts to more drama, more suspense, more television coverage — all of it with Donald Trump at the center."
This sums it up perfectly. It's like watching a train wreck in slo-mo.
5
Can we at least drop this conceit that Trump thrives on "chaos?"
1. Trump is not thriving.
2. Chaos is simply the byproduct of a lack of plans and preparation. That Trump remains last man standing is due to his standing as president, or head of a family company or protagonist of a make-believe TV show.
27
@Art I disagree. Look at the historical analogy of Hitler. Hitler deliberately made sure no one else was comfortable, that there were lots of competing organizations and interests, to make sure that no one person or group could accumulate enough power to be a threat. trump does exactly the same thing. He really does thrive on chaos.
We should be careful not to confuse this Presidency with a real Presidency.
Just because the Presidency is technically occupied by an accident of voter suppression, voter apathy, Russian hijinks and the American voters' toddler-like inability to distinguish between TV and reality, this Presidency is not as much a Presidency as it is an incredibly awful.
John Bolton played the role of deranged National Security Adviser as well as he could.
Another unqualified and disturbed NSA actor will be hired to increase the ratings by shining the light on the Impostor-In-Chief as this awful show enters cancellation season.
37
The Trump's government shows clear signs of schizophrenia: incongruity of its motivations, moods, thoughts, and behaviors. Paranoia and loss of reality are everywhere, and many of the government's behaviors are goalless, disorganized, and self-conflicting.
4
Trump's tweet firing Bolton had one key tell - Trump did not like Bolton for disagreeing with him too many times. Trump wants people around him who will yes him to death. (Would that that metaphor could actually happen.) That means being able to guess whatever Trump wants to hear is a job requirement for success.
It's only going to get worse as Trump becomes increasingly frantic, between polls and events.
6
Dear Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Mnuchin,
Your names are now also on the wall for future deliberations or arbitrary whims. There is no way to be loyal supporter or loyal advocate for such an aberration as Donald Trump. Hopefully he will pull his own house down but not ours.
5
"Defenestration" is a colorful word — a favorite of mine, in fact, along with "revanchism" — but it's a bit of a stretch.
John Bolton isn't dead. And his leap from the White House is neither suicide nor murder.
I don't worry about Bolton because I am confident that he's already landed in a safety net: the offers of visiting scholar at conservative think tanks, and guest commentator on cable-news stations are no doubt already in hand.
After a "decent interval" (in Frank Snepp's immortal words), Bolton will resume his career of bellicose, belligerent, warmongering, but the drumbeats will come — once again — from outside the government.
Same tune, different audience.
1
In firing Bolton, Trump just wanted to reaffirm that he is the BOSS and Bolton is more like a self styled leader. If Trump succeeds in denuclearize Korean peninsula without any bloodshed, it is sure he will be reelected in 2020 Presidential election and may well get Nobel Prize with Kim.
Trump promise not kept, hiring the best and brightest. The more slavish the praise the better the chance of avoiding a knife in the back. The disaster was hiring Bolton. Did Trump mute his Fox News during Bolton's many appearances? It seems a clue when Trump referred to Michael Bolton instead of John.
Call it what it is a circus complete with clowns.
5
His greatest skill, the one he was most skilled at, was firing people. A skill honed on a TV show.
Survivor White House Advisor. I predict Ivanka will win.
4
After the elections we will know a few things.
1. How sick the country really, truly is. I understand that 60 million folks were fully conned by the greatest grifter in American History. But are they still truly going to back this man? All 60 million? How sick are we as a country. If we Trump is re-elected the country is effectively lost.
2. The fragility of Democracy. This greatest of nations, this promise of freedom fulfilled. Will it die on the back of a re-elected neo-fascist? If Trump is re-elected, Democracy world-wide will be crippled if not toppled.
3. Biblical Prophecy revealed? Climate Change is not "god" driven. It is human-driven. Yet, indeed, Apocalypse is upon us. If Trump is re-elected Apocalypse will be accelerated dramatically.
4. Proof of the Simulation? Recent philosophy has seriously proposed a simulation theory - that we are but a simulation created by an advanced civilization. How else to explain the Orange time-bomb in the White House. How else? If Trump is re-elected, the virus more or less wins.
6
Trump has seen some very competent and capable people exit, most of them military personnel, and there should be no tears shed for this man. Good riddance to John Bolton.
9
Jared, this Administration’s “stealth weapon”, for his father-in-law’s fourth National Security Advisor! A proven team player, capable of speaking authoritatively on behalf of dear Dad, and who has already successfully mastered the intricacies of Middle East negotiations. Nepotism? Sure, but when your back is against the wall you go with the best.
Where is the Dem leadership decrying this chaos and selling the nation on this alone as a reason Mr. trump should not be re-elected? So much ammunition but nary a word.
182
@caljn
Maybe - just maybe (probably wishful thinking, but hey...) they decided to let him handle the negative PR on himself. He seems to be more than capable and willing to let everybody know that he's the absolute worst at everything.
And maybe (again: probably wishful thinking) they plan to make their campaign *not* entirely about him?
Because maybe (again... ah well.) they learned, by now, that if they focus on him that they're gonna loose.
Because, I don't know, but to me it looks like nothing's stuck to this guy so far - hoping for this to change doesn't seem to be the smart bet, at this point.
15
@caljn Yes...the dems have ALWAYS struggled to come up with EFFECTIVE strategy against the repubs. There have been enough examples in the past of how the R's have decimated D's. They should just copy the tactics that the Rs have used so effectively....at least the Ds would have REAL ammunition to throw at the Rs....
Its frustrating....
8
@caljn The Democrats are following sage advice. When your opponent is destroying himself don't disturb him.
34
Trump has no foreign policy experience or education to speak of. Even of he wants to achieve certain objectives he has no clue on how to do it. Diplomacy is not in him. Period. It's just too complex for his beligerant impatience. Bolten was a mistake from the beginning; A known entity as a super hawk and still he was appointed. Three National Security advisors in less than three years. This is just sad and horrible for our National Security.
310
@Laura
Really? Was too complex for the experts and seasoned diplomats of the past 30 years that gave us a nuclear powered North Korea. Once they have it how do u try and get him to give up? Trump tried fire and fury threats and the harshest sanctions for which he needed Russia and China to not veto and did that. Where it goes from here hard to tell but still better to get Kim out of his hermitage than not. Bolton was there to play devils advocate but not the final decision maker. Trump is not doing anything other than what he said during his campaign before the election.
@Laura
I wish to differ.
He couldn't get into a graduate program about diplomacy or even read a book about it.
Kissinger wrote and taught about diplomacy at Harvard University.
What did he accomplish.
Practically nothing.
Was Obama qualified in any way as a diplomat.
Trump didn't learn diplomacy in college but he did learn about making a deal.
He even wrote about it.
He knows these leaders from other nations in ways no one else can because of the projects he has been responsible for.
I don't like him but you should not ignore his abilities.
@Laura The Emperor has no clothes!
8
John Bolton managed to totally insult both Trump and Shinzō Abe during a recent formal dinner in Tokyo by not showing up. Apparently he had more important things to do than showing respect to two top leaders. That he wasn't fired that same night struck me as Trump being a very patient boss. Last night was the final straw.
18
You can't be serious, rudolf, surely?
Trump? Patient? I know three-year olds with more self-control.
Speaking for myself, I'd have been relieved if Bolton hadn't shown up to a dinner I was attending.
p.
21
@rudolf who was the idiot that hired Bolton to begin with? It's not like he had any record of success with anything, sort of like Trump
4
@rudolf Trump hired Bolton. Why? For what reason? Trump does not do his homework is the correct answer.
He just guesses, or maybe uses a dart board. High card? Dice? Draw straws?
4
The other way of looking at this would be that John Bolton may have been the only person around Trump who was not a yes-man.
Deep down (or maybe not that deep....) Trump knows his limitations but keeps up the facade that all around him admire and adore him, and believe that he is the smartest on the block.
However much one may disagree with Bolton, he definitely is smarter than Trump and he may not have had the "decency" of letting Trump believe otherwise.
Bolton does not suffer the fools in North Korea, Iran and in Venezuela. Trump does.
84
@Harry
I disagree that Trump knows his limitations. People with the psychological condition he suffers from truly believe they are the smartest and that they know everything — better than the generals, better than this expert, better than that expert, better than anyone.
64
@Maria Katalin
Yep. The thing that amazes me is that people don't seem to be making the effort; courses, seminar, etc., to understand what we are dealing with. Reminds me of the way Americans push mental disorders under the bed generally. Consider the Trump family. This whole fiasco should never have happened. Blinders firmly in place!
9
@Harry Bolton certainly knows more than trump (which is a pretty low bar). But smarter? Hard to say, he's the guy who never saw a war he didn't like. Is that smart?
8
One of the best moves Trump has ever made. Let's hope the aftermath isn't worse.....but that's hard to imagine.
There is no way to advise someone who refuses any advice other than his own.
In the case of Bolton it’s no great loss, but the idea that the rest of government, down to our weather reports, cowers at his whim IS a great loss. It’s also a loss that the Senate bows so deeply in submission that it will only vote on his ideas. It has forsaken the concept of being a separate but equal part of our governance.
Our nation can’t be run by one person and one person alone. But right now the Republican Party has no room for ideas beyond the president, many of whose ideas are focused strictly on insulting celebrities who dare disagree with him.
23
@Joanna
Probably you are right; however, he always has anyone who likes to "work in the White House" for a period and after that to write a book about his/her experience near the President.
3
Wait a minute, Trump just fired John Bolton, isn't that something to be applauded? When Obama was in office the right could not credit him with anything, and now the left is doing the same thing. I, personally, am quite happy and relieved to see Bolton gone! We'll see who takes his place, but for the moment I give Trump some credit.
5
@Bette Andresen - Trump hired him as well, knowing full well what Bolton stood for. Isn't the credit neutralized by the demerit of hiring him in the first place?
4
America isn'i "less dysfunctional:" it's more unsafe. And I would not credit Trump with any goals, since everything he does is wasteful, ambiguous and/or contradictory.
Process matters especially when the ends are vague.
25
I was alarmed when Trump appointed Bolton as NSA to begin with but was not surprised when he was fired. It doesn’t matter who takes his place...Trump operates on his gut alone and will not take anyone’s counsel who might disagree with him.
At the same time I’m happy that Bolton is gone. No telling what he might have talked Trump into doing. Back to Fox News, perhaps, where he can once again make noise but not influence action.
10
It should be noted that, in the midst of chaos and mismanagement, Trump has displayed an iota of sound judgment. Bolton's departure is a sign that Trump has limits on the recklessness of his national security agenda. Seeking a less dangerous North Korea is a worthy goal and Trump should be applauded for pursuing rapprochement. It is unfortunate that he is seeking it the wrong way. Another sign of rare pragmatism (and the possible cause of Bolton's departure) is Trump's announcement that he is open to talks with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani.
The possibility of relations thawing between Washington and Tehran is greater than wringing a deal from the mercurial Kim Jong-un. The feather on Trump's foreign policy cap will not come from North Korea. But it can come from Iran. It would be less chaotic if the presisdent's next national security advisor can dare to think outside the neo-conservative box - just as Trump has proven that he can.
4
@Nav Pradeepan That an action is taken that could have been the result of sound judgement doesn't mean that the action WAS the result of sound judgement. It is just as likely that Benedict Donald just got tired of looking at Bolton's moustache. Since we don't know the reason for Bolton's departure, we can draw no conclusions regarding the implications of the departure for the recklessness or the fecklessness of Trump's security agenda. If, indeed, such a thing exists.
8
@Nav Pradeepan
I cringe whenever I hear someone mention the phrase "worthy goals" and attribute them to Trump. What is Trump's impetus for these worthy goals? To make the world a safer place? Trump's only real goal is to keep his ego well fed.
6
@Nav Pradeepan
Of course, if we remember who created the icy relations with Iran in the first place, why would we think Trump deserves a feather in his cap for attempting to mend those relations?
Trump might be able to think outside the neoconservative box, but unfortunately, he seems to think inside the proverbial black box whose workings no one can make sense of. Is irrational thinking better than neoconservative thinking?
6
Spot-on. Trump has always been the fundamental problem, period. Bolton has become yet another one of those people who have been apparently totally ignorant of the essential factor of Trump's personality features, and like all the other moths to that flame, has been burned by allowing himself to being drawn so close to Trump. Trump shows ample behavioral features of a serious, dangerous personality disorder, the primary feature being near total self-absorption and promotion. That promotion "trumps" all other considerations, even regarding his closest associates, the nation, Constitutionally, and the world. His mentality is totally unsuited for a world leader--more suited to a patient who needs behaviorally quarantined for protection from harm. It makes me wonder how much more evidence must actually be endured before the force of the rule of law is applied at least to make a determined effort to remove him. (At least Pence appears not having the same personality features.) Then we must vote all of the Republican enablers out. See www.dangerouscase.org for further insights.
28
Having an advisor implies a willingness not only to be advised, but also to occasionally accept that advice. It is clear that Donald Trump has no interest in being advised, preferring to listen instead to his inner voices, his 'instinct'. That these inner voices tend to hear only what he likes to hear - meaning anything that 'confirms' how smart he is or what a great negotiator he is - lead naturally to chaos.
As for Bolton's replacement? My money is on Jared Kushner.
30
As a corollary the hiring and then firing of Mr. Bolton is again proof that Trump is not a manager, not by the wildest stretch of the imagination.
Trump's supporters, in 2016 particularly, argued that he was manager of successful businesses and therefore well prepared to be a good President. Wrong on two counts. Not a manger and not successful. His bankruptcies and fake University have been reported widely.
In addition, Trump has zero experience running a complex organization. He doesn't really trust anyone. He micromanages everything. He makes all decisions even if it means contradicting his support team. All he seems capable of is hiring people who are "loyal" which means supporting the mafia-like don at every turn. Lies or truth, legal or illegal, technically sound or an illogical superstition, just support Trump at all possible costs.
That being the case, it makes little difference if Trump appoints a qualified human or a stuffed Panda bear. Just roll the Panda out at briefings and let Trump tell us yet again how he had the biggest inaugural crowds ever.
40
It may be a relief that someone like Bolton is gone, but this is becoming more and more like an Agatha Christie novel where everyone is destined to be ousted eventually.
In this case, the only real question is who will be next, because from the beginning we already know the answer to who done it. [Hint: It's the one who doesn't want to hear whatever the next victim has to tell him, regardless of who and what it is he has to say.]
My only hope at this point is that the story line continues until everyone, even the man at the top, is ousted. I know I'm dreaming, but since the Democrats are determined not to act, it's all I've got.
14
@avrds You and so many others also have the VOTE, to stop the trend of "winners" basically by default of those who don't vote. The Republicans have fully exploited this trend, which I hope has begun to show a worthwhile turnaround in 2018.
8
The Bolton firing demonstrates that Trump prefers chaos to making hard decisions. That has kept the US from blundering into additional wars. One can live with a certain amount of chaos as long as major catastrophes are avoided, thus it is good that Bolton is out. But there is no guarantee that a major foreign blunder can be avoided while Trump remains chaos-maker-in-chief.
7
This editorial piece was obviously written with heartfelt relief:John Bolton's toxic options have been removed from the president'international agenda. Maybe president Macron's advice over a new initiative regarding Iran played a part in the president's decision. This shows more promise for mr Trump by bolstering his international record as he seeks reelection.
As to what really happened to cause this abrupt exit, we need just consider the Taliban secret (secret like without John Bolton's knowledge) peace talks, then cancelled while their representatives were headed to the US (possibly with John Bolton having a say in that decision).
Mr Bolton played a useful part during his tenure, allowing president Trump to test his own appetite for conflict and finding out he prefers trade to military wars.
With John Bolton out, the world may breathe easier at least for now, and the president made to look like a peace maker.
2
What chaos? John Bolton's ouster says that Trump is at his best when he is not afraid to boot out a hawk from the Bush era. After the Bush and Obama era regime change wars, Trump sees American greatness not in military confrontation but in diplomacy and peace. What has America accomplished from armed conflict since world war II? Nothing but precious lost lives and a sky high national debt.
A fair unbiased editorial board would have applauded the president for his peace efforts and controlling the war mongers in Washington. Before the end of Trump's first term, I would not be surprised if North Korea is on the path to nuclearization, Iran's president will have met Trump, the Taliban will negotiate with the Afghan government, there is a blue print for peace between the Palestinians and Israelis and terrorism will be close to being eradicated. Men and women will get in and out of this white house but what will endure is the search for peace and working relations with major world powers.
2
@Girish Kotwal
Except Trump is the person who appointed him?
4
@Girish Kotwal
" . . . the search for peace and working relations with major world powers."
Great. Now name an administration that doesn't lay claim to that goal.
The editors nailed it at "Trump clearly likes things this way."
But then, so did Shakespeare. And Sondheim. Much ado, with nothing getting done.
Send in the clowns.
2
Unfathomable that you think this person is in anyway on a quest for peace. Diplomacy? No. Bolton wasn't foisted upon him by previous administrations. He was SELECTED by this person now dictating world events. Bolton wasn't a good choice when he was selected, and the person doing that selection is still incompetent.
21
Some red state comments here today stress that Trump has not taken us to war, hasn't gotten anyone's children killed. True, so far. Unlikely we'll have a Trump war, at least not before the next election. He watches and calculates too carefully his reelection chances to send Americans into war. However, that doesn't erase the chaos within his Administration or the weakening of essential pillars of our Constitution.
22
@blgreenie
Obama seriously weakened the US when banks were bailed out, but no bankers were held accountable, and the ordinary homeowners were left to sink.
Obama did not have the courage to hold the CIA accountable for torture. So now it is acceptable.
A torturer was Senate approved to head the CIA.
Trump has not just killed anyone's children, he has not been responsible for the hundreds of thousands of deaths of Iraqis, Afghans, Libyans, Syrians, Yemeni, Somalis... or wrecked their countries...
Though Trump's sanctions are hurting countries...
Anti Trump hysteria is so tiresome, and dangerous, because it takes focus from the important issues.
I wonder if that is the point.
With his America first strategy, Trump wants the Saudi’s and Israelis to do all the dirty work.
Meanwhile Syria is a wasteland, Yemen is almost as bad, and we’re not likely to get a satisfactory result in Afghanistan.
Not all Trump’s fault, but nothing has been accomplished.
Very likely true, Trump’s fertilizer is chaos. However, the Union of Concerned Scientists was able to turn back the clock on nuclear war by almost 5 minutes when Bolton left the building. We have learned to appreciate the small things
18
The White House may be in turmoil, alliances may be trembling and adversaries may be seeking advantage, but that all just amounts to more drama, more suspense, more television coverage — all of it with Donald Trump at the center.
That says it all in a nutshell!
It's just like his rallies. There is an article in todays Times about the people attending his rallies. It is like Dead heads following the tour but completely without the joy.
He needs to be the center of attention. He not only does not hate CNN, he loves it for the attention they pay to him. He is without morals or a compassionate bone in his body but his 40% will forgive him anything.
51
Welcome to democracy, from the perspective of a pampered 5-year-old emperor.
First his parents, now the Republican Party under the thumb of Mitch McConnell.
It matters not who Trump pulls from the barrel's bottom to replace Bolton; this unfortunate will either be titled "Acting" National Security Advisor or will be shepherded through the Senate's semblance of vetting, McConnell style, and stamped "Approved."
McConnell, remember, will not allow the Senate to vote on anything Trump has not told him he will sign. The Republicans in the Senate will vote according to McConnell's edict.
Nothing is more dysfunctional than a family run by a kindergartner.
189
@Glen
NSA Director does not require $enate approval, explaining how both Mike Flynn and Bolton were able to hold the job.
6
@Paul
You are correct. But then, Trump has proven that he shouldn't be allowed access to the Oval Office bathroom without $enate's (your -and quite appropriate spelling-- OK.
2
Agree with you on principal. However the National Security Advisor position does not require Senate confirmation nor does the Chief of Staff. The new occupant of the position will be acting just as Mick Mulvaney is. Remember that trump loves “acting” because it gives him more “flexibility.”
1
Somewhere or other, I saw a video of Mr. Bolton sparring with an older (and wiser) British gentleman.
The Brit (speaking calmly, dispassionately) pointed out the profound disconnect between Mr. Bolton's approach to the world--
--and the one favored by generations of American leaders.
And Mr. Bolton? Grim-faced and shouting, almost from the get-go--no wonder Mr. Trump picked him. The gist was: we the BIG BOYS here. We STRONG. Nobody on the planet stronger than WE is. World, look out! We COMIN'!
Gosh--he made me ashamed to be an American.
AND NOW THAT HE'S GONE--
--chaos you said? Oh gosh, New York Times--there's more to it than that.
WHO IN HIS RIGHT MIND--
--is gonna waste five minutes of his precious time, thinking that--yes, it IS possible to "make a deal with this man"? The Chinese (I have read) call him "volatile."
YUH THINK?
His word? Don't make me laugh. The man is shifty and unreliable to the nth degree. Not only that but--
--there is at least an outside chance he'll be turned out of office in 2020. Maybe. God grant!
These world leaders may well expect that--okay! Let the dog have his day. Snarling and barking. There are wiser, more capable leaders waiting in the wings. PANTING for him to be gone.
And those ballyhooed "deals of his"?
Rubbish! Forget 'em!
American foreign policy will go on--after Mr. Trump is but an irksome memory.
But (for now) he plays the cards he has.
Wild cards every one of 'em.
129
@Susan Fitzwater - You got talent~!
5
Bolton couldn't fiddle Trump like Putin, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Kim Jong-un or Rodrigo Duterte so out he went.
Bolton's, and H. R. McMaster's mistake was thinking Trump would liken to them. Why would a very stable genius need any advise?
Sadley the new guy/gal will be worse than Bolton...wait for it.
16
Trump considers himself a contrarian, a rebel above the law.
Such a person has no capacity for reality or commitment.
To anyone or anything.
50
"Mr. Bolton supported Mr. Trump’s worst instincts in leaving the deal that had constrained Iran’s nuclear program."
". . . .constrained Iran's nuclear program."
Seriously?
Have you been listening to the Israelis?
Y'all are hopelessly, hopelessly lost.
The only saving grace in all of this is that I think the public has grown weary of Trump's erratic nature, and Trump fatigue (and not the ceaseless wildly inaccurate wailings from mainstream media) will be his undoing.
5
@Sam there was a time that I believed everything the Israeli government said, but this is Netanyahu and he is trying to frighten the Israelis into voting him into office with a majority. He has been trading lessons with trump and I don’t believe either one of them. I will believe Netanyahu when other third parties confirm him, but I doubt that will happen.
7
Trump is awful. But he has managed, for all his awfulness, to not drag this country into another war.
What does that say about our traditional politicians and political parties?
Trump treats people like garbage but he hasn't casually sent thousands of our children to die. Traditional politicians are kind and say nice things- and send our children to die for no reason.
I wonder where we would be, now, had the Democratic Party been willing to flatter Trump? I disagreed with the Republicans when they refused to work with President Obama.
5
Literally flattering Trump would have made no difference, except possibly to make things worse, and Trump hasn’t even really worked with Republicans, let alone Democrats. I believe in cooperation, too, but this administration does not.
@willt26 he really hasn’t had much opportunity to get into a war. All the good ones are already taken. He is basically a coward. I don’t agree with our wars and the reasons for them, but he isn’t going to get us out of any of them without endangering our young men, our allies’ young men and the young men from those countries that fought at our side.
1
@AACNY: But I bet any of the Democratic presidential candidates is capable of appointing a National Security Advisor! I'm ready to vote for a candidate who can do that.
1
Well, as ever, it is clear to those who are sane and paying attention, that we are living in a nightmare, that we hope and pray will end. It's not that I rue the loss of Bolton. No, just that I rue the absence of anything remotely close to an even bad foreign policy. References to policy differences are absurd. Trump has no policy other than "I the Donald." It's beyond comprehension that people who are presumably somewhat educated (I'm speaking of folks elected to Congress), are still just ok sitting on their fat pads, pretending this is ok. I get that a lot of the electorate was bamboozeled, and are desperate to think they didn't make a huge, grave mistake. They did, obviously. But HEY CONGRESS! YOUTOOKANOATH!
116
@AACNY I'm increasingly speechless. Facts, rational arguments and discussion are no match for triablism and propaganda. The U.S. is in a deep hole.
4
John Bolton, purveyor of tin-eared diplomacy and desire for destroying whatever he doesn't like, not finding common ground with Trump is like Lex Luthor and the Joker breaking up.
32
Advisers trying to advise Trump on anything have about the same chance as Kim scrapping his WMDs. NADA. Remember during his campaign how Trump boasted that "I alone" can fix it? Fast forward to the present. Trump has an idle press secretary because he alone can give press conferences next to a helicopter. He doesn't need a head of NSA nor any of his cabinet members because he alone is an expert on everything. He boasts about consulting only himself regarding his dangerously impulsive idea to meet with the Taliban at Camp David. Isn't it reassuring that we have a president who relies on absolutely no one but himself to make critical decisions? What's most insane is that while Trump's popularity is waning, he still has the undying support of millions, begging the question, What is it about this man that they like?
42
Trump's alleged chaos has led to less foreign policy carnage than either Presidents Bush or Obama.
All lives matter, foreign ones too. Under Bush's wars, we just stopped counting all the dead.
13
@Midway Obama inherited the Bush war...Trump, though not starting another war (beyond a trade war) has not gotten us out of the Bush war either.
8
@Midway
Agreed. Even reputable American news sources rarely refer to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi fatalities that resulted from our invasion.
2
@Muso
What Obama/H.Clinton did to Libya was an exact repeat resultswise of the Iraq fiasco.
He was elected to foil George Bush. Obama's foreign policy was Bush on autopilot...
The world is safer under an experienced realist like Trump. Obama and Bush and Clinton were too far removed from the reality of their actions. Things don't work out like on paper or in the academic world, sadly.
1
The behaviors of both Trump and Bolton (and before that, Flynn) are sadly strong evidence that the appointment of National Security Adviser should require senate confirmation.
78
@1954Stratocaster Senate confirmations of Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and the various swamp creatures who constitute Trump's Cabinet are, sadly, strong evidence that Trump's National Security Advisors would have been rubber-stamped by Moscow Mitch and the rest of the Senate Republicans whose loyalty to the Koch Cabal supersedes any commitment to upholding the Constitution
Why are so-called reputable news sources still referring to trump as president? He was not fairly elected and has no ability to do the job. Why is anything he says treated as news?
66
@Giles. Beats me.
1
@Giles Because he IS the president, as much as you (and I) might wish otherwise. He won the electoral college - them's the rules.
3
What position did this Editorial Board take on the Iraq War?
If Trump had taken us to war this Board would have, rightfully, taken him to task for it. It would have questioned whether or not a war was necessary and/or in the interests of the people of the United States.
In short this Editorial Board would have attacked Trump for an action it would not have questioned had a traditional Republican or Democratic President done it.
I am not a fan of Trump. I am glad that we are not at war with Iran. I am glad we are not at war with North Korea. I am glad we are not involved in Venezuela. I am glad we did not get sucked into Syria.
Those are good things. I guarantee you that had Hillary Clinton been in the Presidency we would be in at least two new wars. I guarantee you that had any of Trump's Republican opponents won the Presidency we would be in a new war as well.
And I guarantee you this Editorial Board would not say a word against any of those wars.
11
@willt26
I wouldn't want to guarantee it, but you are on the right track nonetheless. I have limited confidence that Hillary would not have started a new war. But she would not be getting direction, or whatever Trump gets in his secret meetings with the man, from Putin.
11
@willt26 I guarantee you that Hillary Clinton would not have taken us into any new wars. There would have been DIPLOMACY, not fumbling incompetence. The only thing that may save us with trump is that he is a coward. That does not guarantee us security, only that he will run and hide if the going gets tough.
12
Trump became a multimillionaire with this management style and is just bringing what worked for him to the White House.
Bolton is just another staffer and his departure isn’t a big deal.
2
@Jay Lincoln
Show us the financials.
51
@Jay Lincoln he is an expert in bankruptcies, not the best management style for a company or a country. Bolton is a symptom, which makes him more of a big deal. He should never have been in that position, another symptom of a poor management style. Still waiting to see all those Best People trump promised he would hire. Didn’t have them in his business and definitely doesn’t have them in his White House.
18
@db2 And his taxes.
3
Trump , a stable genius? Hardly. Stupid is as stupid does.
71
When trump was elected, and for the ensuing months which then has sadly turned to years, I have felt unsettled and depressed. At some point today the depression changed to deep anger. What is trump doing in the White House? Why is he still running this country? I can't wait for an election to possibly get rid of him. He is a despicable, scary person who has no business anywhere near the Red Phone or anywhere close to nuclear codes.
344
@lindap
There are other ways, lindap.
They are discouraged.
Not sure why, in this situation.
4
@lindap - You are not alone. I can not bare to look at him or hear his voice. He is the foulest of beings, he corrupts everything he touches. That he remains, that the people around him - accessories to his criminality remain - is incomprehensible. If he is not removed in 2020, it's going to get really, really ugly. We won't last as a country or a people beyond that, if we manage to hold together until then.
7
Please, let's all agree to stop referring to incompetence as chaos.
There is no method to President Trump's madness.
There is only madness.
731
@Didier
There is method. How can people think Trump is not deliberately undermining the effectiveness of our government in protecting the country from enemies inside and out?
23
@Didier
I bet Trump completes his presidency having killed fewer people and wrecked fewer countries than GWBush and Obama.
I don't like Trump, but the hysteria surrounding his presidency is far worse than Trump chaos.
But the media doesn't do depth, chaos and hysteria are such fun.
I respect Trump's trying to work out something with Kim Jong-un... maybe a formal peace treaty to end the Korean War after all these years.
But the thought of that makes the Washington foreign policy establishment and the military industrial complex, the NYT and other Establishment media go ballistic. They are STILL aching to wipe North Korea off the face of the earth.
The world desperately needs a new leader!
1
@Didier Yes, of a sort. See www.dangerouscase.org for confirmation from top behavioral health professionals.
7
Bolton and Donnie shared the same love for Faux News...and that's about it.
19
"A chaos candidacy will result in a chaos Presidency" - Jeb Bush August 2015 No ONE gets to act surprised.
321
@Basic
Nobody is longing for a return to the Bush era. Nobody.
Let's be clear on that. Don't even send us the grandsons to look over: America is done supporting Barbara Bush's sons and any grands. Done! They've helped the country enough...
3
@Basic Every single person who voted for him is responsible for the current state of affairs. Look in the mirror trump supporters. This disaster is your doing.
3
Trump's apparent inability to retain anyone in an advisory role should be adequate evidence that he is unfit to be our president.
The notion of inviting anyone representing the Taliban to stay at Camp David is surely the equivalent of treason and quite possibly insanity.
216
Our allies aren't "contused." They are desperate, panicked at seeing no path to surviving Voldemort.
66
Pompeo, Barr, and Pence will never be fired. They have Trumps # and no moral compass. When he says jump they massage his ego.
169
@Johnjam Pence of course cannot be fired because he was elected, not appointed.
2
@pat
Surely you jest.
7
@pat he can be forced out. See Agnew. I’m sure pence is at a minimum just as guilty as he was
43
There is absolutely no need whatsoever, for a National Security Advisor in the Trump Government.
The only "Advisor" Trump listens to, is Fox and Friends.
Whoever the Acting National Security Advisor is now, just has to agree with whatever Trump tweets, no matter how ridiculous it is.
If Trump draws a Sharpie around lower Mongolia, and declares that it's the Republic of Cameroon, the Acting Advisor has to say, "Oh, you're absolutely correct Mr. Trump."
The United States Government, has now become just a pathetic joke.
512
It had to be Taliban-Gate that sank this relationship. Preposterous Premise on advent of 9/11 anniversary-meeting would be held at Camp David--singing Kumbaya and such. Had to be the last straw. All eyes look to Ivanka and Jared--
-----not too late to stage intervention
24
@TWShe Said Naw. They are too busy planning how to make more money while the administration lasts. Grifters, both of them.
8
Well one of your owners or Editorial Board members should get right over and fix this mess. I don't care who is President, who in the world could handle all of this turmoil?. This is a long time brewing, not just president Trump's doing. Stop sitting on the sidelines and get into the game. Whine, whine, whine...no solutions.
@Steven Pettinga
Solutions will not be found with the Drama Queen President. Turmoil is his stock in trade.
28
You really want to know what the problem is? For trump, life is just a run of episodes and seasons. In TVland, what happened last week really doesn't effect what will happen this week. In real life, however, what you do this week will effect you and those around you forever.
204
The relationship between the Trump White House staff and Fox News reminds me of Major League Baseball and their farms teams. There is a constant flow of players in both directions, depending upon the whims of the owner, in this case Trump. Bolton will inevitably wind up on Fox and maybe, if he performs well, he will be invited back to the majors.
37
@stan continople You mean back on Faux with the rest of his friends from Trump's broken White House.
5