Trump’s former NSA says 19th century crisis likely to come in second term – Firstpost

John Bolton, a former national security adviser and longtime foreign policy hardliner, has issued scathing criticism of Donald Trump’s approach to governance and decision-making, warning that a second term for the former president could lead to significant international crises.

Speak with The GuardianBolton described Trump’s claims that he is uniquely capable of preventing a third world war and resolving global conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine as “typical Trump: it’s all bragging.” He warned that Trump’s lack of focus, interest in facts and coherent strategy greatly increases the risk of a “19th century” type crisis if he were to return to the White House.

“The world is more dangerous than it was when he was president,” Bolton said.

“The only real crisis we had was Covid, a long-term crisis and not against any particular foreign power, but against a pandemic. But the risk of an international crisis… is much more likely during a second Trump term. Given Trump’s inability to focus on coherent decision-making, I am deeply concerned about what that might look like,” he further said.

Bolton’s criticism of Trump’s leadership

Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser (NSA) from April 2018 to September 2019, described his frustrations with Trump’s approach to governance. He criticized the former president for his decision-making process, which he said was driven by personal relationships and “neuron flashes” rather than a deep understanding of national interests.

“He has no philosophy, he has no policies as we understand them, he has no national security strategy,” Bolton said.

“His decisions are like an archipelago of dots. You can try to draw lines between them, but even he cannot draw lines between them,” he further said.

Bolton added that Trump’s disregard for the national security briefing process and his emphasis on personal relationships with authoritarian leaders like China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin posed significant risks.

‘He doesn’t know much about foreign policy. He’s not a big reader… He thinks he’ll look the other guy across the table in the eye and they’ll make a deal, and that’s what’s important,” Bolton said.

Trump’s personal relationship with autocrats underlines a troubling lack of situational awareness, according to Bolton. “If you base everything on personal relationships and you don’t understand how the person on the other end feels about you, then that’s a real lack of situational awareness that can only cause problems.”

Growing confidence, increasing risks

Bolton warned that Trump could become even more erratic and disruptive in a second term than during his first term. “He is now more confident that his judgment has been re-elected, which will make it even more difficult to impose any kind of intellectual decision-making discipline,” he said.

Trump has also raised concerns about recent provocative statements, including threatening to take back the Panama Canal, calling on the US to buy Greenland and suggesting Canada would become the 51st state. Kim Darroch, the former British ambassador to Washington, described the prospect of a second Trump term as “a 24/7 bar fight.”

Bolton agreed, adding that Trump’s foreign policy instincts could lead to dangerous outcomes. Trump, for example, has claimed that he could end Russia’s war against Ukraine in a day. Bolton expressed concern that such an approach could result in compromises detrimental to Ukraine’s sovereignty. “He wants this off the table… which strongly implies he doesn’t care under what terms. And that is very dangerous for Ukraine.”

‘America First’ and beyond

Under the banner of ‘America First’, Trump’s foreign policy during his first term often leaned towards isolationism, non-interventionism and trade protectionism. While Bolton admitted that he agreed with “many” of Trump’s decisions, he noted that they lacked coherence and were often the result of impulsive judgment.

Bolton, who has advocated aggressive policies including military action against Iran and North Korea, rejected the idea that Trump’s approach aligns with traditional Republican foreign policy prospects. “There is a liberal Democratic blob that is quite problematic, but the Republican Party remains essentially Reaganite in its view. Trump is an aberration and if he leaves the political scene, the party will strike back,” he argued.

Dangerous agreements?

Bolton also criticized some of Trump’s possible picks for key positions in a second administration, including Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Kash Patel as FBI director. “These are really dangerous… Gabbard’s opinions belong on ‘another planet,’” he said.

As the possibility of another Trump presidency looms, Bolton’s warnings serve as a stark reminder of the potential consequences for U.S. foreign policy and global stability. “We have four more years in Trump’s grip,” he warned, “and a lot of damage can be done in that period.”