Former Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton seemingly brushed off President-elect Trump’s decision to have billionaire Elon Musk join his call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his 2024 election victory.
“My first reaction when I heard it was, well, so what? What’s unusual about having the Vice President-elect sitting with the President-elect on a call? And then I realized, of course, Elon Musk wasn’t the Vice President-elect,” Bolton told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday. “This is really, I think, typical of Trump.”
“[The] sort of bounds and norms are not Trump’s strength as we know. I wouldn’t get too hyper thyroid about it too quickly, but it’s certainly not a sign that order and stability have suddenly appeared at Mar-a-Lago despite what everybody is talking about, about these early appointments,” he added in the interview on CNN’s “The Source.”
Trump has spoken with a number of world leaders since he was declared the winner of the White House race over Vice President Harris. Musk’s presence on his call with Zelensky shows how his close relationship with the president-elect could manifest itself in January.
Zelensky said the call was a “productive conversation, a good conversation.”
“Of course, we cannot yet know what his actions will be. But we do hope that America will become stronger,” he said.
Trump has for months touted on the campaign trail that he would be able to end the nearly three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine — even before he takes office in January. Critics of his have argued that the push would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
Bolton, who served under the Trump administration but has become a vocal critic, said the new information about the phone call “looks like the same chaotic, ‘Do what you want to do’ Donald Trump, with his latest bright, shiny object, Elon Musk.”
The former ambassador to the United Nations was also asked to provide advice to the next potential national security adviser.
In his remarks, Bolton explained that in the role, the person must make sure the president has options laid out before them so they “can make the best selection of policy.” And, he said, you must make sure the decisions are followed through.
“If the president doesn’t take your advice, then that goes with the job,” he said in the interview, highlighted by Mediaite. “You are the national security adviser and not the national security decision-maker.”
“But most assuredly, what your job is not, is simply to say, “Yes, sir” when the president says something,” Bolton continued. You have to do what you can, and you are obviously dealing with a human being, but you need to do what you can to make sure that all of the information is available, and all of the feasible options are laid out.”
The former adviser added, “If you fail to do that by saying, “Yes, sir,” every time the president speaks, you’re not serving the president, you’re not serving the country.
The comments come as Trump’s transition team has already started vetting potential candidates for his Cabinet and other key administration posts. So far, he has only announced Susie Wiles as his chief of staff — the first woman to serve in the role.
