In a sharp criticism of former US President Donald Trump, ex-US National Security Adviser (NSA) has said that he “hasn’t got the brains” to helm a dictatorship, reported The Telegraph.
John Bolton, who is a vocal critic of Donald Trump, has served the former president as the NSA from April 2018 to September 2019.
In a conversation with the French outlet Le Figaro, Mr Bolton was asked whether Mr Trump had tendencies that mirror dictators like the ones Mr Trump has previously praised.
Responding to the question the 75-year-old not only mocked Mr Trump’s intellectual capacity but also disparaged his professional background.
As per The Telegraph on Friday, Mr Bolton said, “People don’t believe [Joe Biden]. Neither do I, because it’s not true! Firstly, regarding the possibility of overthrowing the (American) republic, let’s be clear: Donald Trump is not Julius Caesar!”
When questioned if he thinks Mr Trump had Julius Caesar-like dictatorial tendencies, John Bolton exclaimed, “He hasn’t got the brains! He’s a property developer, for God’s sake!”
It must be noted that Mr Bolton’s remark comes a few months after Mr Trump said that he would act like a dictator only on “day one” if he returned to the Oval Office.
Back in December 2023, American writer Sean Hannity during an interview in Iowa asked Mr Trump, “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?”
“Except for day one,” Mr Trump replied. The former president repeated his assertion. “I love this guy,” he said about Sean Hannity.
Mr Trump added, “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’”
As per a report by The Guardian, Mr Trump’s statements meant he would use his presidential powers to shut the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Meanwhile, John Bolton in his conversation with Le Figaro also added, “I think it’s very likely that he would leave NATO if re-elected. Trump, when he has an idea, comes back to it again and again, then gets distracted, and forgets, but eventually comes back to it and acts on it. That’s why leaving NATO is a real possibility. A lot of people think it’s just a negotiating tool, but I don’t think so.”