Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton announced that he would not run for president in a video released on Facebook earlier Thursday.
Bolton said he began considering a presidential bid in 2013 because he wanted to ensure national security was a key component of the 2016 campaign. After traveling to Iowa, New Hampshire and other states across the country, Bolton determined it was not in his best interest to run for the presidency.
“As I look forward, I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination for president,” Bolton said in the video. “I believe I can make the strongest contribution to our future by continuing as a clear and consistent advocate for a strong Reaganite foreign policy that values peace through strength.”
On a conference call Thursday afternoon with reporters, Bolton said he knew “it’s not feasible” for someone in his circumstances to run for president.
“While I will not seek the Republican nomination, I will continue all of the activities through the PAC, the super PAC and a new foundation, a 501(c)4 that we’ve created,” Bolton told reporters.
Bolton specifically took aim at the foreign policy of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner for president. But, Bolton said, Republicans should not take Clinton’s candidacy lightly.
“While her tenure was a failure, she does know how to talk the talk,” Bolton said. “And Republicans need to make sure they don’t allow her to skip away with national security as an issue that works in her favor.”
Bolton said he plans to have an active role in the 2016 presidential campaign, and wants to ensure that national security remains important to voters selecting the next president.
