Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday that former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will need to rein in his instinct to rely on military might once he replaces Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as national security adviser.
“Mr. Bolton’s tendency to try to solve every geopolitical problem with the American military first is a troubling one,” Schumer said in a statement. “I hope he will temper his instinct to commit the men and women of our armed forces to conflicts around the globe, when we need to be focused on building the middle class here at home.”
Bolton has advocated for military strikes in recent years on Iran and North Korea. The push for the latter occurred less than a month ago in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
Schumer’s call echoed that of his fellow Senate Democrats, who concede that while Bolton has a lot of experience, they find him to be a “dangerous” selection.
“I am also deeply concerned about the dangerous impact John Bolton will have on our national security,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“While the President may see in Mr. Bolton a sympathetic sycophant, I would remind him that Mr. Bolton has a reckless approach to advancing the safety and security of Americans — far outside any political party,” Menendez added.
