Conversations with Bill Kristol John Bolton on the Trump White House after 100 Days
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May 6, 2025 
John Bolton, former National Security Advisor, shares insights from his time in the Trump White House. He highlights the chaos following Mike Waltz's firing, marking a shift to more decisions being made in the White House. Bolton expresses concern over the erosion of global trust in America, calling it a substantial cost of Trump's approach. He warns about the implications of loyalty overshadowing critical advice and addresses challenges facing U.S. foreign policy, including the reactions of allies and adversaries in a changing global landscape.
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Trump Prefers Compliant Advisors
- Trump prefers advisors who only give opinions when asked, avoiding unsolicited advice.
- This limits critical assessment and reduces the quality of presidential decision-making.
NSC Staff Severely Reduced
- The National Security Council has been reduced to a skeletal political appointee staff.
- This has crippled the NSC's oversight and process for considering options in national security.
Vice President and Miller as Peers
- The Vice President and Stephen Miller participated as peers with cabinet members in NSC meetings.
- Miller contradicted the Vice President and corrected the President’s decision publicly in a Signal chat.