Politics - News Analysis

John Bolton Just Accused Trump of Lying About His Firing, ‘I Offered to Resign!’

Donald Trump said on Twitter that he had fired John Bolton, his national security advisor, in a stunning announcement on Tuesday that apparently took Bolton himself by surprise.

“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House,” Trump wrote on Twitter, citing disagreements over policy.

Bolton offered a different story in his own tweet, claiming that he had offered on Monday night to resign but Trump brushed him off.

“I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow,’” Bolton wrote.

Ambassador Bolton sends me a text message just now: “Let’s be clear, I resigned, having offered to do so last night.”

— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 10, 2019

Trump had claimed in his tweet that he asked Bolton for the resignation, and that it was given to him Tuesday morning: “I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore … I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”

Bolton, according to reports, had opposed the peace agreement with the Taliban that collapsed after Trump cancelled a secret meeting at Camp David between Taliban leaders and the president of Afghanistan.

In an email sent out Tuesday morning, the White House said that Bolton would be briefing the press at 1:30 p.m. alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin. Bolton is no longer listed on the briefing page.

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