WASHINGTON • President Donald Trump ousted his national security adviser John Bolton because he "disagreed strongly" with many of his positions, ending a tumultuous tenure marked by several setbacks in US foreign policy.
"I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning," Mr Trump tweeted last night. "I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new national security adviser next week."
Mr Bolton, who is known for decades of hawkish positions on US foreign policy from North Korea to Iran, had been scheduled to take part in a press briefing yesterday on terrorism.
Minutes after Mr Trump's announcement, Mr Bolton responded on Twitter, saying: "I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, 'Let's talk about it tomorrow'."
The announcement comes days after Mr Trump abandoned a plan to bring Taleban leaders to Camp David for peace talks.
Mr Bolton, 70, joined the White House in April last year, bringing an interventionist view into Mr Trump's inner circle.
From the outset, he seemed like an odd fit under a President who champions an "America First" agenda. At times, Mr Bolton pursued his longstanding policy priorities, creating tension with top administration officials and Mr Trump himself.
Since joining Mr Trump's White House, Mr Bolton has pursued an agenda that included trying to break Iran financially, shield Americans from the reach of the International Criminal Court and toughen the US' posture towards Russia.
Mr Bolton was also a leading voice promoting American support for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an effort that has not been successful.
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