Former CIA Director John Brennan said he believes America’s enemies are aware of “significant” mayhem in the Trump administration’s national security apparatus.
The vocal Trump critic said the ouster of White House national security adviser John Bolton is an example of just how “serious” the situation has become.
“I think our foreign partners as well as adversaries have already detected a significant amount of disarray and chaos in the national security establishment. This just is one more example of just how serious this issue is,” Brennan told MSNBC on Wednesday.
He was reacting to a tweet from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after President Trump forced Bolton out.
John Bolton’s sudden departure is a symbol of the disarray that has unnerved our allies since day one of the Trump Administration. Steady leadership & strategic foreign policy is key to ensuring America’s national security. https://t.co/MQIYet8pnA
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 10, 2019
“John Bolton’s sudden departure is a symbol of the disarray that has unnerved our allies since day one of the Trump Administration. Steady leadership & strategic foreign policy is key to ensuring America’s national security,” the Democratic leader said.
Trump announced Tuesday via Twitter that Bolton submitted his letter of resignation after he asked for it. “I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump said.
Brennan described a number of things that came to mind with Bolton’s exit, including that his “hard-line interventionist” style clashed with Trump’s foreign policy outlook, he was “very self-centered,” and he was not a “political animal” like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who is “obsequious to Trump.”
Brennan also questioned the timing of Bolton’s departure, suggesting it may be a distraction from unflattering news reports about Trump’s scrapped Camp David meeting with the Taliban and military stopovers at Trump’s Scottish resort.
