Ambassador John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, pushed for war with Iran for 20 years — but not like this. For years, even decades, John Bolton has argued for regime change in Iran and for America to take a proactive military role to make that happen. Bolton served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush and, later, as national security advisor to Donald Trump during his first term.
The partnership with Trump was fleeting, however. He did not leave the administration on good terms and has been a critic of Trump since. He’s even been indicted by Trump’s Department of Justice for the mishandling of classified documents. Despite that back story, it is still a bit confusing to hear one of America’s foremost Iran critics break with the Trump administration on this war. How did Trump lose the Republican party’s biggest Iran War Hawk? And why?
This week on Today, Explained, Vox’s Astead Herndon talks to Bolton about why he's critical of Trump's Iran War.
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