John Bolton Will Give White House Officials The Axe, According To ‘Foreign Policy’

President Trump’s controversial new National Security Adviser, John Bolton, has big plans for the National Security Council. It has been reported by Foreign Policy, that Mr. Bolton plans to perform a thorough purge of White House officials on the council.

Bolton’s executive wrath is said to be directed primarily at those who were brought in during the Obama administration. Also in Bolton’s crosshairs are personnel associated with his predecessor, H.R. McMaster. Ricky Waddell, who was close to McMaster, is also expected to be dismissed by John Bolton.

Just as many elements of the previous presidential administration were very different from the Trump administration, the National Security Council will change. It will be notably different than before. It has already been changing a great deal and will continue to change upon John Bolton’s accession. Bolton’s intent to eradicate personnel who shared fealty to his predecessor is not unique. McMaster is reported to have taken similar precautions in his own time as the National Security Adviser.

The same personnel who were disposed of by McMaster are intent on returning to the National Security Council, and the recent change in leadership may give them their chance to return. If they are reabsorbed by the council, it will undo McMaster’s efforts to dislodge them. Whether this would be a step forward or backward, is a matter of perspective.

As reported by The Hill, President Trump’s selection of John Bolton indicates that his stance on foreign policy has gone farther toward the right.

The new National Security Adviser has been known to have a harsh position on North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. John Bolton supported the Iraq war, and served as the ambassador to the United Nations under the administration of George W. Bush. Bolton has made it evident in his previous work that he is strongly and fervently in favor of striking North Korea and toppling the North Korean regime.

The positions that Bolton holds on these topics will come into play as events unfold through his time on the National Security Council. While Bolton, President Trump’s third National Security Adviser, plans to replace so many personnel, only time will tell if he too will be replaced.