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Trump Dismisses National Security Adviser John Bolton, Says They 'Disagreed Strongly'

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CBN News Political Analyst David Brody appeared on Tuesday's edition of CBN News' Faith Nation to discuss Bolton's firing.  Watch Faith Nation weeknights on the CBN News Channel. Check local listings. 

President Trump announced Tuesday morning that he has asked his National Security Adviser John Bolton to resign.

He tweeted: "I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore... I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week."

The president wasn't clear about what topics he specifically disagreed with Bolton about, but the move comes shortly after Trump canceled a peace summit with the Taliban at Camp David.

Trump said that he had "disagreed strongly" with many of Bolton's suggestions as a national security adviser, "as did others in the administration."

Some of those suggestions, according to Washington insiders, were over the handling of Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea. 

One Republican familiar with the disagreements between Trump and Bolton told The Associated Press the adviser's opposition to a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was a precipitating factor in the dismissal. French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to broker such a meeting, possibly on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly, in the hope of salvaging the international Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from.

Meanwhile, Trump just dropped plans for Taliban peace talks, citing the terrorist group's most recent bombing which killed a US service member, saying the Taliban can't kill Americans and expect a peace deal with the US. 

The White House had faced heavy criticism for even inviting the Taliban to Camp David, and Bolton reportedly was among those who disagreed with the idea of inviting the Islamic terrorist group to attend.

Bolton replied to the news of his removal with a tweet of his own, saying, "I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, 'Let's talk about it tomorrow'."

Bolton has reportedly texted multiple members of the media since Trump's tweet to insist that he resigned, disagreeing with the way the president is characterizing the encounter. 

Shortly before the news broke, Bolton had also tweeted about 9/11 saying: "As we reflect this week on the horrific 9/11 attack, it's important to remember how far we've come in combatting radical Islamist terrorist groups but also how much work is left. We stand strong against regimes that sponsor terror & encourage violence against the US & our allies."

Since joining the administration in the spring of last year, Bolton had been skeptical about the president's whirlwind reconciliation with North Korea and has advocated against Trump's decision last year to pull US troops out of Syria. He had tried to persuade Trump to keep US forces in Syria to counter the remnants of the Islamic State and Iranian influence in the region.

Bolton was also opposed to Trump's now-scrapped notion to bring Taliban negotiators to Camp David last weekend to try to finalize a peace deal in Afghanistan.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Charles Kupperman, the deputy national security adviser, and a former Reagan administration official and defense contracting executive would fill Bolton's role on an acting basis. 

Bolton was named Trump's third national security adviser in March 2018 after the departure of Army Gen. H.R. McMaster.

Trump says he will pick a new security advisor next week.

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Gill

Benjamin Gill oversees all web content as the Multimedia Manager for CBNNews.com. He has been on staff with CBN News as an internet and broadcast producer since 2000. You can follow him on Twitter @BenGillCBN. Here are some of his commentaries and articles: Pursuing Truth in a World of Fake News: Reflections of a Christian Journalist After 20 Years with CBN News The Breaking Point: Pandemic Pain, Persistent Prayer, and God's Bigger Picture Plagues, the End Times, and Trusting in God's Protection: 'You Will Hear Us and Rescue Us' 12 Powerful Bible Verses to Build Your Faith and Fight Fear