Sep 18, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Bolton lashes out at Trump's foreign policy at event: Reports

Rebecca Falconer

White House National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) listens to U.S. President Trump talk to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House July 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. — President Trump and John Bolton at the White House in July. Photo: by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Former national security adviser John Bolton told a Manhattan event Wednesday that negotiations with North Korea and Iran are "doomed to failure" and a plan to invite the Taliban to Camp David ahead of the 9/11 anniversary was "disrespectful," Politico and CNN report.

Why it matters: It was already clear that Bolton had sharp disagreements with Trump during his time at the White House. But his reported comments at the private lunch are remarkable not just because they reveal how bitter Bolton's disputes with Trump were, but also because he seems willing to openly air them just days after leaving the White House.

He ripped Trump, without using his name, several times."

— event attendee to Politico

The big picture: Bolton was reported to have made the comments at an event hosted by conservative think tank the Gatestone Institute, at which Bolton has previously served as chairman.

Per Politico, notable attendees included former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, former Fox News host John Stossel, former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey and New York billionaire John Catsimatidis.
Lawyer Alan Dershowitz was also in attendance and said to thunderous applause during the Q&A session that Bolton's ouster from the White House was "a national disaster," Politico reports.

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Bolton lashes out at Trump's foreign policy at event: Reports

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