By Charles Switzer
10:34am PDT, May 2, 2025
Bolton's Criticism of Trump's National Security Governance
John Bolton, former national security adviser to President
Donald Trump, issued a scathing critique of his old boss in
The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, May 1.
Bolton's remarks followed the news that Trump was nominating
Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton called out what he described as Trump's "chaotic national-security governance," arguing that it poses serious risks to U.S. military operations and foreign policy.
"Whether it's risking American military operations, making volatile, highly dubious tariff decisions, hiring uninformed senior advisers or seeing senior government officials dissenting from presidential decisions, the disarray is palpable and likely to spread," Bolton wrote.
Here's everything you need to know about Bolton's newest Trump critique.
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Chaos in Trump's Decision-Making
John Bolton continued his critique by emphasizing that Donald Trump's decision-making process has been marked by chaos, which he attributed to the president's personal style.
"The upheaval continued with President Trump's announcement Thursday that he plans to nominate national security adviser Mike Waltz to be America's United Nations ambassador—with Secretary of State
Marco Rubio doing double duty as national security adviser 'in the interim,'" Bolton said.
He argued that "chaos is embedded in [Trump's] DNA" and endemic within Trump's administration.
The former adviser pointed to several instances of dysfunction, including
J.D. Vance's criticism of Trump's handling of the Houthi rebels and the growing controversy surrounding
Steve Witkoff's portfolio.
A Pinball-Machine Approach to Policy
John Bolton further criticized Donald Trump's decisions, suggesting that they result in ineffective policy formulation, especially in regards to tariffs.
"That pinball-machine style of decision-making also prevailed during Mr. Trump's first term and is particularly evident today on tariffs," he said.
He also argued that this style of governance, driven by personal loyalty rather than strategic thought, has caused significant problems both within the administration and in America's international relationships.
Bolton emphasized that Trump's decisions are often made without taking competing priorities, information or consequences into account.
The Underlying Issue: Trump's Character
According to John Bolton, the root of the confusion within the Donald Trump administration stems from the president's character, which he claims has undermined effective governance.
"The confusion stems mainly from Mr. Trump himself, not his advisers," Bolton wrote. He pointed out that Trump's leadership undermines the National Security Act of 1947, which was designed to allow presidents to better manage the foreign, defense and intelligence bureaucracies.
Bolton argued that by not utilizing the National Security Council mechanism effectively, Trump's approach has limited his ability to make sound decisions and follow through with them.
Social Media Reactions
One X user expressed agreement with John Bolton, saying, "Bolton is right — Trump's decision-making is a disaster for U.S. national security. His chaotic leadership is taking a toll on our global standing."
Another user, however, defended Donald Trump, writing, "Bolton is just bitter. Trump has delivered results on foreign policy, and the establishment is mad about it."
There was also a tweet from a political analyst saying, "Bolton's criticism only highlights how Trump's approach is radically different from traditional foreign policy, and it's clear it's not working."
