Ex-advisor warns: Trump's new team picks raise eyebrows in Washington

Former Trump advisor **John Bolton** shares thoughts about new cabinet picks for upcoming administration. Security experts analyze how these choices might affect US foreign-policy direction

November 14 2024 , 04:45 PM  •  1078 views

Ex-advisor warns: Trump's new team picks raise eyebrows in Washington

The soon-to-be second Trump administrationʼs cabinet picks are making waves in DC political circles‚ with several non-standard choices for key national-security positions (which got mixed reactions from both parties)

The basic problem is that [Trump] cant tell the difference between the national interest and his personal interest

John Bolton‚ former national security advisor

In a break from his first term appointments Donald Trump picked less-traditional candidates for top spots: Mike Waltz as national-security advisor; Marco Rubio for state department chief; Tulsi Gabbard to lead intelligence; Matt Gaetz as attorney-general and Elise Stefanik for UN role

  • Waltz and Rubio got ok feedback from experts
  • Gabbard and Gaetz faced push-back from Senate
  • Previous picks included well-known pros like Mattis and Pompeo

The ex-advisor pointed to three main risks for next year: trade-war problems; quick Ukraine war end thats bad for NATO; China-related issues — all these might come up fast. Bolton noted that strong leaders like Xi and Putin understand their goals well‚ while Trump often mis-reads situations; like when he stopped military practice with South-Korea to please Kim Jong-un

Republican foreign-policy experts worry that some nominees show more personal loyalty than professional skill-set. Gaetzʼs sudden step-down from Congress (right when nominated) stopped an on-going ethics check about his behavior