US President Donald Trump has abruptly forced out US National Security Adviser John Bolton, the hawkish adviser with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and many other global challenges.
Tuesday’s sudden shake-up marked the latest departure of a prominent voice of dissent from the president’s inner circle, as Trump has grown less accepting of advice contrary to his instincts.
It also comes at a trying moment for Trump on the world stage, as he faces pressing decisions on difficult foreign policy issues.
Photo: Bloomberg
Tensions between Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, and other officials have flared in the past few months over influence in the president’s orbit and how to manage his desire to negotiate with some of the world’s most unsavory actors.
Since joining the administration in the spring of last year, Bolton has espoused skepticism about the president’s whirlwind rapprochement with North Korea, and has recently become a vocal internal critic of potential talks between Trump and the leaders of Iran and Afghanistan’s Taliban.
On Twitter on Tuesday, Trump and Bolton offered opposing accounts on the adviser’s less-than-friendly departure, final shots for what had been a fractious relationship almost from the start.
Trump tweeted that he told Bolton on Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House and Bolton submitted his resignation on Tuesday morning, while Bolton responded in a tweet of his own that he offered to resign on Monday “and President Trump said: ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.’”
One US Republican lawmaker familiar with the disagreements between Trump and Bolton said that the adviser’s opposition to a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was a precipitating factor.
The Iranian government hailed Bolton’s departure, and spokesman Ali Rabiei said it might pave the way for warmer relations.
Rouhani’s Web site yesterday quoted the Iranian president as also signaling his approval of Bolton’s dismissal and urging the US to “put warmongers aside and abandon warmongering and its maximum pressure policy” on Iran.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that US Deputy National Security Adviser Charles Kupperman would fill Bolton’s role on an acting basis.
Trump said he would name a replacement for Bolton next week.
Asked if Bolton’s departure would affect Taiwan-US relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement yesterday that the ministry, out of respect, refrains from commenting on the personnel affairs of foreign governments.
Nonetheless, she reaffirmed that Taiwan-US relations remains close and friendly, saying that the nation has many supportive friends in the White House, the US Department of State and the US Department of Defense.
Taiwan cherishes the hard-won partnerships and democratic values shared by the two countries, she added.
The ministry continues to work with the US in building an open, free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and an international order based on the rule of law, Ou said.
Additional reporting by Lin Chia-nan
‘UNITED FRONT’: The married couple allegedly produced talk show videos for platforms such as Facebook and YouTube to influence Taiwan’s politics A husband and wife affiliated with the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP) were indicted yesterday for allegedly receiving NT$74 million (US$2.32 million) from China to make radio and digital media propaganda to promote the Chinese government’s political agenda and influence the outcome of Taiwan’s elections. Chang Meng-chung (張孟崇) and his wife, Hung Wen-ting (洪文婷), allegedly received a total of NT$74 million from China between 2021 and last year to promote candidates favored by Beijing, contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and election laws, the Chiayi District Prosecutors’ Office said. The couple acted as Beijing’s propaganda mouthpiece by disparaging Hong Kong democracy activists
EARLY ARRIVALS: The first sets of HIMARS purchased from the US arrived ahead of their scheduled delivery, with troops already training on the platforms, a source said The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said it spotted 35 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, flying to the south of Taiwan proper on the way to exercises in the Pacific, a second consecutive day it has reported such activities. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not respond to a request for comment on the missions, reported just days before tomorrow’s US presidential election. The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Its arms sales to Taipei include a US$2 billion missile system announced last month. The MND said that from 9am yesterday,
A Control Yuan member yesterday said he would initiate an investigation into why the number of foreign nationals injured or killed in traffic incidents has nearly doubled in the past few years, and whether government agencies’ mechanisms were ineffective in ensuring road safety. Control Yuan member Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) said in a news release that Taiwan has been described as a “living hell for pedestrians” and traffic safety has become an important national security issue. According to a National Audit Office report released last year, more than 780,000 foreign nationals were legally residing in Taiwan in 2019, which grew to more than
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’: Donald Trump vowed to reward his supporters, while President William Lai said he was confident the Taiwan-US partnership would continue Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the US early yesterday morning, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. As of press time last night, The Associated Press had Trump on 277 electoral college votes to 224 for US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee, with Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Michigan and Nevada yet to finalize results. He had 71,289,216 votes nationwide, or 51 percent, while Harris had 66,360,324 (47.5 percent). “We’ve been through so