Former NSA John Bolton declares running for president in 2024 against ex-boss Donald Trump

Former US national security adviser John Bolton is set to lock horns with his ex-boss Donald Trump, as he announced his 2024 presidential bid to the British media on Friday, The Independent reported. In a conversation with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the 74-year-old said that he is not declaring his candidacy in vain, but is extremely serious about joining the race for presidency against Trump, who he says is experiencing a “terminal decline” in public support. 

“I wouldn’t run as a vanity candidate. If I didn’t think I could run seriously then I wouldn’t get in the race,” he said, emphasizing that, “I would get in to win the nomination and I would do it primarily on the basis that we need a much stronger foreign policy.” Bolton, who has never held elected office, has been a staunch believer in the United States adopting a strict policy in foreign affairs, especially against China and Russia. He has also stood in support of the invasion of Iraq.

“I think it’s important that it’s understood not just in Moscow, but it’s understood in places like Beijing, that unprovoked aggression against your neighbours, is not something the United States and its allies will tolerate,” he said. 

Bolton takes a dig at Trump for remarks on the US Constitution

Bolton had made his aspirations known in December last year, when he suggested that he would run for president if no other candidate from the Republican party comes forward to slam Trump for his remarks on terminating the US Constitution. “I’d like to see Shermanesque statements from all the potential candidates. If I don’t see that, I’m going to seriously consider getting in,” he told NBC, adding that Trump’s statement should be enough for his disqualification for public office. ‘“I think to be a presidential candidate you can’t just say, ‘I support the constitution’. You have to say, ‘I would oppose people who would undercut it’,” he added. 

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser between April 2018 to September 2019. Previously, he believed that he didn’t bag the secretary of state post as Trump was not a fan of his mustache. Later on, in September 2019, Bolton left the Trump administration and said that he had quit. On the contrary, Trump said that he had been sacked from the job.