What's behind the departure of Trump's security adviser John Bolton

In Washington, they have almost stopped counting. How many ministers, advisers, personal speakers has Donald Trump fired or lost in his term of office?

It's half an army, and now Trump has another security advisor worn out, it's the third. John Bolton is out.

Again, continuity, reliable governance, all these are foreign words in a White House, where the unpredictable is program. It is also typical that there are once again different versions of the circumstances of Bolton's resignation.

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Trump announced via Twitter that he had not agreed with Bolton on many points. He had asked him on Monday "to resign" that his services were no longer "necessary" in the White House. Bolton then abdicated.

I know John Bolton is not any longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as others in the administration, and therefore ....

Bolton, on the other hand, said he offered Trump his own resignation on Monday, and the president responded, "Let's talk about it tomorrow." He then slept over it one night and sent his resignation letter on Tuesday morning.

I offered to resign and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

Violent dispute over Afghanistan

Anyway: Apparently, the two had just before clashed during a meeting. According to US media reports, the dispute over Trump's plan to hold peace talks with the Taliban at the President's country estate last weekend, Camp David. Just a few days before September 11, the anniversary of the World Trade Center attack.

The summit was canceled by Trump again. But then there was a lot of evidence in the US press that Bolton Trump strongly advised against the meeting, because he had thought the whole thing from the beginning for a crazy idea.

The reports were also provided with many colorful details. Trump, who hates little more than piercing his closest circle, can hardly have liked that. Presumably, he had his own security adviser or his entourage as informants under suspicion.

In the video: And suddenly John Bolton was gone

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Peter Nicholls / REUTERS

So after less than two years ends a strange alliance, was on the blessing from the beginning. Trump and Bolton, that just did not fit.

The president, who promised to massively reduce US military involvement worldwide and solve problems with other states through ingenious "deals," appeared on many foreign policy issues as the exact counterpart to Bolton.

It just did not fit

The man with the conspicuous schnauzer is a "hawk" through and through. His belief in the willingness of states such as Russia, Iran or North Korea to make nice "deals" with the US is limited. Nor does he trust the Taliban. Basically, he sees the heavy use of military power and interference in the internal affairs of other countries as the better means of enforcing US interests worldwide.

First, Trump should have found the apparent contradiction even more amusing. If it were Bolton alone, the US would probably have started four wars, Trump is said to have joked. But the different views became more and more obvious and problematic over time. Bolton, who was supposed to be the president's most important advisor on all foreign and security issues, spent most of his time cross-cutting with his boss:

• While Trump continued to settle for a deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in recent months, despite new missile tests, Bolton regularly tightened North Korea's rhetoric. The joint border visit of Trump and Kim in the early summer he thought was a mistake, demonstratively he stayed away from him.
• Similarly, the differences were probably in Iran : After the shooting down of an American drone and the attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Bolton should have entered for a retaliatory strike against Iran. But Trump blew the operation down at the last minute. Trump also repeatedly opposed Bolton's idea of ​​working for a regime change in Iran.
• Bolton is said to have promised Trump to be able to sell the regime within a very short time with massive support for the local opposition. But the plan has not worked out yet.

How will things continue after the departure of the hardliner Bolton? Already next week, Trump wants to introduce a new security consultant. In the discussion are diplomats from the second and third row. One thing is certain: the departure of Bolton should strengthen the influence of Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo. He is regarded as a brave supporter of the President, who rarely contradicts his master. He was in a constant feud with Bolton.

The president should now even more relied on to solve foreign policy problems with "deals", even if he has at least so far brought no real solutions. There are already rumors that Trump wants to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rohani at the end of September on the sidelines of the UN session week in New York for peace talks.

But the idea is certainly a horror for John Bolton.