Trump’s former national security adviser shared a blunt reminder on when to “take the garbage out.”
John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to start thinking about his next job on Tuesday amid chaos at the Pentagon.
“I don’t see his tenure here lasting more than some months into the future,” said Bolton in an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt.
“Someone suggested to me that you take the garbage out in August, and maybe that’s when there are a lot of changes in the administration.”
The comments from Bolton, a frequent Trump critic since the president pushed him out of his first administration, arrive as Hegseth deals with the fallout of a second Signal chat scandal.
The White House has reportedly started the process to replace Hegseth, who reportedly shared plans of an impending military attack on Houthi rebels in a group chat with his wife, his brother and his personal lawyer.
The Pentagon has been in “disarray” under the former Fox News host’s command, according to a scathing op-ed from John Ullyot, who stepped down as Hegseth’s top spokesperson last week.
Hegseth recently fired three aides, as well, who later indicated in a joint statement that they did not know the reason for the firings.
Internal strife at the Pentagon has also set back the rollout of some of Trump’s policies as dysfunction and distrust has brewed in the building, current and ex-defense officials told The New York Times in a report on Tuesday.
In a separate report from Politico, which detailed feuds in the administration, one source close to the matter described “a lot of tension” and “a lot of bad blood” amid the infighting.
On Tuesday, Hegseth suggested that “deep state forces” don’t want him in the post.
Bolton told CNN that the latest Signal controversy shows a “terrible lack of judgment” from Hegseth.
He went on to predict that there will be a “decent interval” before Trump lets Hegseth go so the administration doesn’t appear as if it’s “bowing to political pressure.”
“He’s used up his goodwill with the administration. He’s supposed to be defending Trump, not Trump defending him,” Bolton said of Hegseth.
“This is wasted energy for the White House at this point.”
Source: Huff Post
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