John Bolton, who once served as National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump, has expressed concerns about the former President's mental acuity, describing him as "cognitively damaged.
".
This remark comes amid Trump's controversial approach to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
On Monday, the United States cast a vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned Russia on the third anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine. The resolution demanded Russia's withdrawal and the return of occupied territories to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Trump has been attempting to mediate an end to the war, proposing that U.S. aid to Ukraine be contingent upon the country ceding some of its mineral resources to the United States.
Notably, Trump has labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator," while refraining from using the same term for Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Mediaite, Bolton shared his insights during an appearance on CNN, where he was questioned by Kaitlan Collins about the U.N. vote.
Collins inquired, "Did you ever think youd see a vote like that, that did put the U.S. on the same side as Russia, North Korea, Belarus?" Bolton, who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush, responded by highlighting the unusual nature of the vote. "It wasnt so much the vote itself as the fact we are aligned with what has always been NATOs principal threat," he explained.
Bolton emphasized that NATO's primary concern since the Cold War has been a potential Russian attack, which remains a key reason for the alliance's existence. "And we have sided now in this vote with NATOs principal adversary. Its just unthinkable that a president could do that," he added.
When Collins probed whether Trump's reluctance to criticize Putin was part of a broader strategy, Bolton dismissed the notion. "Look, Trumps defenders say everything he says is a negotiating strategy, including when he says A and the next day says Not A I think its an indication his mind is full of mush and he says whatever comes into it," Bolton remarked.
He further criticized Trump's perception of Putin as a friend, contrasting it with his disdain for Zelensky. "This is somebody who is not fit to be President. He cant tell Americas friends from its enemies," Bolton concluded.
Login