Analysis: John Bolton tried to explain away Trump’s Otto Warmbier comments. It went poorly.
By Aaron Blake Aaron Blake Senior political reporter, writing for The Fix Email Bio Follow March 4 at 2:25 PM Serving President Trump often means trying to square a rhetorical circle. Sometimes it requires pretending he didn’t say what he said. Other times you’ll distance yourself from something you clearly regard as ridiculous.On two Sunday shows, Trump’s national security adviser was asked to account for Trump’s controversial comments about Otto Warmbier.
Except Trump rather clearly accepted Kim’s word as reality. In his exit news conference in Hanoi, Trump repeatedly made the case for how Kim wouldn’t have known about it and said explicitly that he believed that explanation.
“That’s his view." Bolton, a notorious hawk on North Korea and many other issues, might as well have said out-loud that he didn’t agree with Trump. If he did, there’s no reason to decline to subscribe himself to Trump’s view and say his own opinion doesn’t matter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Donald Trump's North Korea deal fell apart because of John 'bomb-'Em' Bolton, experts sayDespite months of hard diplomacy, U.S. envoy Stephen Biegun didn't even get a seat at the negotiating table in Hanoi, where hawkish national security adviser John Bolton instead had the president's ear.
Read more »
Bolton defends Trump's comments about Kim Jong Un and Otto Warmbier'When he says I'm going to take him at his word, it doesn't mean that he accepted as reality; it means that he accepts that's what' Kim said,' Bolton said.
Read more »
Move over ayatollahs: Bolton turns tweets and talons on MaduroJohn Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, shake...
Read more »
John Bolton: North Korea summit was not a failurePresident Trump is “not desperate for a deal — not with North Korea, not with anybody — if it’s contrary to American national interests,” Bolton said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Read more »
Trump-Kim summit 'not a failure,' John Bolton insists, while acknowledging North Korea remains a threatNational Security Adviser John Bolton insisted President Donald Trump's Hanoi visit was somehow a 'success' despite acknowledging that no denuclearization agreement was made and North Korea remains a threat to global stability.
Read more »
Bolton defends outcome of Trump summit with North Korea“It was unquestionably a success for the United States because the president protected, defended American interests,” Bolton said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Read more »
Bolton on taking Kim's word on Warmbier death: 'My opinion doesn’t matter'President Trump’s national security adviser says that his opinion about whether Kim Jong Un knew about the torture of Otto Warmbier in North Korea is irrevelant.
Read more »
Bolton: 'My opinion doesn't matter' on Warmbier"I'm not the national security decision-maker. That's his view," he said in response to comments President Donald Trump made that he takes Kim Jong Un "at his word."
Read more »
Trump adviser John Bolton insulted the whole of Latin America with Venezuela comments, Russia's top diplomat saysBolton suggested that the Trump administration was ready to embrace a modern version of the Monroe Doctrine.
Read more »