Trump considers John Bolton for Secretary of State
In a radio interview today Donald Trump said that he was seriously considering appointing John Bolton as his secretary of state.
This could simply be pandering by Trump to the conservative audience he was speaking to, or it could be a real trail balloon. Either way, it emphasizes again that the policies of a president is largely determined by the people he surrounds himself with, first by indicating the direction the president is leaning, and second by providing counsel to that president. So far, the majority of Trump’s picks have leaned to the right, with some exceptions. Bolton would emphasize that rightward direction, and this is a very good thing.
By the way, I don’t know if my readers have noticed this, but the stories I have posted here about the presidential election campaign have had nothing to do with the stupid stuff that the mainstream and conservative media have been obsessing about. Instead, my focus, as always, is on trying to find out what these candidates will actually do when they become president, based on what they actually do (not say). Thus, I post about Trump’s potential appointments once in office, and real evidence that Hillary Clinton committed illegal acts as secretary of state. Making believe that Donald Trump is a monster because he made a minor miscue at one point in one speech is not a way to learn anything, other than to demonize the man absurdly and wrongly. I won’t participate in that childishness.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
In a radio interview today Donald Trump said that he was seriously considering appointing John Bolton as his secretary of state.
This could simply be pandering by Trump to the conservative audience he was speaking to, or it could be a real trail balloon. Either way, it emphasizes again that the policies of a president is largely determined by the people he surrounds himself with, first by indicating the direction the president is leaning, and second by providing counsel to that president. So far, the majority of Trump’s picks have leaned to the right, with some exceptions. Bolton would emphasize that rightward direction, and this is a very good thing.
By the way, I don’t know if my readers have noticed this, but the stories I have posted here about the presidential election campaign have had nothing to do with the stupid stuff that the mainstream and conservative media have been obsessing about. Instead, my focus, as always, is on trying to find out what these candidates will actually do when they become president, based on what they actually do (not say). Thus, I post about Trump’s potential appointments once in office, and real evidence that Hillary Clinton committed illegal acts as secretary of state. Making believe that Donald Trump is a monster because he made a minor miscue at one point in one speech is not a way to learn anything, other than to demonize the man absurdly and wrongly. I won’t participate in that childishness.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Mr. Z.,
yes, appreciate & notice you don’t dwell on the daily stupid-stuff.
As for Bolton– I like him.
I found this an interesting perspective… http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148740944816/trump-prediction-update
And https://theringer.com/scott-adams-interview-dilbert-donald-trump-3064e6996421#.7dkefcbr2
(And now I crave pancakes! Damn you reCAPTCHA)
Liberals heads will explode if this come to fruition.
I happen to like John Bolton very much, he is plain spoken and no non sense, an actual American. What a concept, a Secretary Of State that has Americas strategic interests at the fore front of his mind. The contrast between Bolton and Kerry will make Kerry look like the internationalist traitor that he is (if you can not see it plainly in front of your face now)
Yeah, Trump is “crazy”, and remember, he is not a rock ribbed Conservative so make sure that you vote for someone else so we have ma Barker as the president. (how she is till in this race goes to the fact that the Democrats are as corrupted as any political party can become. October should be very revealing)
I like John Bolton also. I have no problem with him being Secretary of State. Better than the last 2!!!
With John Bolton as Secretary of State things like this never happen.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/obama-admin-gives-green-light-iran-build-two-new-nuclear-plants/
And the money to accomplish it ($150 billion as per Obama and the Iran deal. And people say he’s not a Muslim / Muslim sympathizer) does not exist, not without actual and real demonstrable concessions anyway.
How will this FACT be reconciled by the voting public? And still be able to vote for Hillary?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/12/clinton-releases-tax-returns-107-million-income/
The Clintons “made” almost one quarter of a BILLION DOLLARS in income since leaving the White House. Let that sink in for a moment. What have they provided and for who for that kind of compensation? And that quarter of a BILLION DOLLARS does not include the money poured into her Foundation, over two BILLION DOLLARS. (now thats real money)
This is not something that can be unseen.
John Bolton said Edward Snowden should swing from a tall oak tree.
That might be an improvement over what we’ve had, but an intangible one at best.
No, you can’t put someone like that in office!
While Trump may be pandering to the harder right mentioning Bolton’s name, he is probably the most well versed and knowledgeable politician related to international relations. Would he get cleared in any related hearings?
As for Snowden, I think he may be counting on a pardon from the current president in order to come home. Although I hear he is raking it in $$$ doing speaking engagements. Snowden is both a hero and a traitor, I can argue both sides. It wouldn’t bother me if he received the pardon but I understand Boltons point of view.
If Bolton wants Snowden hung then anyone who ran their own server sending and receiving confidential government communications and lied about it should be next on line right after him. I am sure both of them have cost someone, somewhere their life. The Patriot act and how it came to be sullies Boltons position on this subject IMO.
But he would be a no nonsense, take no prisoners Secretary Of State, your right, he would never get through.
Whether or not Bolton could be conformed in the Senate is mainly a matter of whether or not the Republicans keep or lose their current majority in that body after November. If the Republicans keep the Senate and Trump gets elected, I don’t see him being the least bit sentimental about the whole filibuster thing. If Democrats want to use the scraps of super-majority cloture that are left after their own frontal assaults on same, I think Trump can finish what Obama and Harry Reid started and put whomever he wants in his cabinet – and on the Supreme Court for that matter.
That said, while I think Bolton would be an excellent choice, he’s decidedly a foreign policy hawk, which Trump is not. How that would work out in practice if, say, the Russians suddenly decided to get grabby in the Baltics, might be interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. I’m going to vote for Trump anyway, despite my California residency rendering this gesture moot, because, as I’ve said many times, Trump is a risk but Hillary is a certainty – of disaster.
Absolutely noticed and appreciated. You do a great job.
I’ve liked what I’ve heard Bolton say in the past, but I don’t really know him. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy foreign nations can push around. If Bolton and Trump differ, I see that as a good thing and an endorsement of Trump in choosing him.
I’m a total outsider here, but come on!
John Bolton? No, that’s just one of Donald’s jokes.
Maybe you are looking at the trees while I see the forest from a little distance.
Edward Snowden as secretary of state! That would give headlines and headaches. All MSM is totally anti-Trump already so it doesn’t matter what he does. It can’t get any worse media wise. (Which is pretty stupid for his opponents to do, they have already gone all in, have nothing to negotiate about anymore, pretty stupid I’d say, but I’m not a poker player).