Bolton attacks Trump’s FBI pick over loyalty concerns
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John Bolton’s scathing criticism of Trump’s potential FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, reveals more about Bolton’s own ideological stance than any legitimate concerns about the candidate.
Bolton, a former Bush and Trump administration official who departed under contentious circumstances, expressed his opposition in The Wall Street Journal, suggesting the Senate should unanimously reject Patel’s nomination.
Despite Patel’s substantial background in counterterrorism and Justice Department work, Bolton’s main criticism centers on what he perceives as Patel’s excessive loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution.
John Bolton’s Cheap Shots At Kash Patel Are A Sign Of Panic In Washington. Bolton doesn’t really oppose Patel for being unqualified or lacking good character but because he wants to thwart Trump’s reform agenda.https://t.co/FvcaOuueGb
— CombsJC (@RedState66) December 12, 2024
“Rep. Devin Nunes pushed Mr. Patel for the National Security Council staff after Republicans lost the House in 2018. Notwithstanding Mr. Patel’s lack of policy credentials, the president ordered him hired,” Bolton wrote, recounting Patel’s time at the NSC.
Bolton’s critique continued: “In neither case was he in charge of a directorate during my tenure as national security adviser or thereafter, as he contends in his memoir and elsewhere. He reported to senior directors in both cases and had defined responsibilities.”
The former national security advisor also claimed that during his tenure, he attended an Oval Office meeting discussing Patel’s potential role as an “administration enforcer of presidential loyalty.” According to Bolton, other officials opposed this proposition, and he resigned shortly after.
“Mr. Patel has frequently called for investigations of journalists, comments he has since tried to walk back. He has been accused of seeking to declassify sensitive information for political rather than legitimate national-security reasons,” Bolton argued, adding that both former Attorney General William Barr and CIA Director Gina Haspel had threatened resignation if Patel was appointed to their agencies.
🚨Kash Patel calls for an investigation into how the funds sent to Ukraine were used.
"I've asked this Congress to investigate. Where has this money gone? The American people are owed that answer, because it's our money."
pic.twitter.com/ofSZExth8J— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 11, 2024
However, Bolton’s credibility comes into question considering his own controversial statements, including his casual admission about helping plan coups in other countries. His opposition to Patel appears more rooted in ideological differences than genuine concerns about competency or constitutional loyalty.
“I regret I didn’t fully discern Mr. Patel’s threat immediately,” Bolton concluded. “But we are now all fairly warned. Senators won’t escape history’s judgment if they vote to confirm him.”
This intense opposition from a Washington insider like Bolton might actually serve as an inadvertent endorsement for those seeking to challenge the established bureaucratic order.
