Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump terminated the Secret Service detail assigned to his former national security advisor John Bolton, who confirmed this to CNN on Tuesday.
Bolton, who exited the Trump White House in November 2019, has required ongoing US Secret Service protection due to threats against him from Iran. Trump initially revoked his protection after Bolton left his administration during the first term, but President Joe Biden restored it once he took office.
"I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has made this decision," Bolton stated in a communication to CNN.
READ MORE: ‘YOU’RE FIRED’: Trump cuts 1000 presidential appointees loose
"Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden’s national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to once again extend Secret Service protection to me in 2021."
"The Justice Department filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hit man to target me. That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trump’s own assassination. The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call."
Bolton, who served in senior national security roles during the Bush administration, has been known for his hawkish stance against Iran. He strongly opposed the 2015 nuclear deal that imposed significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from US sanctions, urging Trump to withdraw from the deal after he took office.
Trump withdrew the US from the deal in May 2018, shortly after Bolton was appointed as his national security advisor. Trump dismissed Bolton in September 2019 after stating he "strongly disagreed with many" of Bolton’s positions.
Bolton published a book in 2020 claiming that the president was poorly informed on foreign policy, obsessed with shaping his media legacy, and that Trump solicited help from the leaders of Ukraine and China to win the 2020 election.
Trump retaliated by threatening to jail Bolton, a threat he frequently makes about those who oppose him.
READ MORE: Trump grants sweeping pardon of January 6 defendants
After Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump’s orders in early 2020, the Justice Department indicated that the Iranian government sought revenge against senior Trump officials involved in the killing, including Bolton, despite him not being part of the administration at that time.
In August 2022, the Justice Department charged an Iranian national and member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing them of attempting to arrange the murder of Bolton. Prosecutors stated that the plot against Bolton was "likely in retaliation" for Soleimani’s assassination.
On Monday, as one of his first actions in office, Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance, part of a broader move that saw many former national security officials lose their clearances with a signature from the new president.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay updated on the latest breaking news, sports, politics, and weather via our news app and receive notifications directly to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
