Donald Trump raged at his political enemies from the intelligence community on Tuesday as he criticized former White House National Security Adviser )and best-selling author) John Bolton.
“John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies,” Trump started his abrupt morning Twitter diatribe. “While of course that is not true, if the first people you met from so called American Intelligence were Dirty Cops who have now proven to be sleazebags at the highest level like James Comey, proven liar James Clapper, & perhaps the lowest of them all, Wacko John Brennan who headed the CIA, you could perhaps understand my reluctance to embrace!”
John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies. While of course that is not true, if the first people you met from….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2020 [1]
..so called American Intelligence were Dirty Cops who have now proven to be sleazebags at the highest level like James Comey, proven liar James Clapper, & perhaps the lowest of them all, Wacko John Brennan who headed the CIA, you could perhaps understand my reluctance to embrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2020 [2]
For months, Trump has been ripping Bolton over the deeply unflattering charges he raised against the president in his book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir. Bolton claimed in his book that he watched Trump repeatedly engage in impeachable conduct and foreign policy blunders, and has used his promotional media tour to hammer the president’s leadership on numerous fronts.
Bolton’s book has been out for weeks, but Trump seems upset about a new interview Bolton gave to Business Insider. Part of the discussion involved Bolton recalling his horror over the 2018 Helsinki summit where Trump accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia did not interfere with the 2016 election.
“I was sitting in the audience with Chief of Staff John Kelly, and we were both frozen to our chairs,” Bolton told Business Insider. “We couldn’t believe what we had heard. And we spent a good part of the flight on Air Force One back to Washington trying to explain to the president why he was getting such a negative reaction from the press back in Washington. The president didn’t seem to understand that people might be upset that he equated what Putin said with what our intelligence community said.”
Suffice to say, people on Twitter were furious over Trump calling members of our intel community “sleazebags.”
More than 163,500 Americans have died of COVID-19, and the President is spending time today attacking his own intelligence community. This isn't a game; lives are on the line. https://t.co/wo1ucheeTm [3]
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) August 11, 2020 [4]
“One of the dumbest people…dirty…sleazebag…proven liar…the lowest of them all”… describes YOU perfectly. You’re projecting again…
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) August 11, 2020 [5]
What could the current occupant of the WH be so afraid of that he would put out this tweet that clearly was written to satisfy Russia and Putin? He is now openly undermining American interests. @senatemajldr [6], you are responsible and you still can defend America. Will you? https://t.co/V9KfebsD0P [7]
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 11, 2020 [8]
If John Bolton is one of the dumbest people you've met, then what does it say for you @realDonaldTrump [9] ? You hired him. https://t.co/VedNTNqnsW [10]
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) August 11, 2020 [11]
This denial that Trump trusted Putin more than the Intelligence Community sure sounds more like a confirmation that it's true. Perhaps that is because it is true. (This is just more evidence to that effect.) https://t.co/RSH1YerdDs [12]
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) August 11, 2020 [13]
You stood up next to Putin in Helsinki and said out loud and on TV that you trusted Putin above US intelligence.
We didn't need Bolton to tell us that. https://t.co/nCYmvhhaqK [14]
— SIVA VAIDHYANATHAN🗽🤘🏽 (@sivavaid) August 11, 2020 [15]
Trump hires only the best people
Who are later the worst people https://t.co/UwEpihDm0D [16]
— Rick Newman (@rickjnewman) August 11, 2020 [17]
Let's call it was it is: YOU WORK for Vladimir PUTIN
That's the TRUTH @realDonaldTrump [9] and EVERYBODY KNOWS IT . . .
85 Days till you are OUT of OFFICE FOREVER
And Americans CAN STOP DYING due to YOUR STUPIDITY and INABILITY TO LEAD. https://t.co/kC6KLWpbAc [18] pic.twitter.com/wHpGU3NwPZ [19]
— The Resistor Sister ♥️🇺🇸🦅🙏🏻 (@the_resistor) August 11, 2020 [20]
You're the dumbest illegitimate president ever and I'm no Bolton fan, however he's got you pegged correctly and you know it, what president has time to sit his obese a** down to attack people that speak the truth, @realDonaldTrump [9] you're pathetic. https://t.co/vqRBzda9Vf [21]
— Carmen Watkins (@CarmenWbluewave) August 11, 2020 [22]
What could the current occupant of the WH be so afraid of that he would put out this tweet that clearly was written to satisfy Russia and Putin? He is now openly undermining American interests. @senatemajldr [6], you are responsible and you still can defend America. Will you? https://t.co/V9KfebsD0P [7]
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 11, 2020 [8]
The mother fucker just attacked Americas intelligence service men and women.
Bone Spurs donny attacks Americans, Americans have died in the intelligence community to protect this country.
Bone Spurs donny did this to protect PUTIN AFTER PUTIN HAD AMERICAN SOLDIERS KILLED https://t.co/XD7iCdvHaj [23]— Dame Keep It Real (@dame_keep) August 11, 2020 [24]