Trump withdraws security protection for Mike Pompeo and John Bolton Donald Trump news

Hawkish foreign policy advisers from Trump’s first term as president have faced alleged assassination threats from Iran.

US President Donald Trump has revoked security protection for Mike Pompeo, Brian Hook and John Boltonhawkish foreign policy advisers who served during his first term in office.

On Thursday, the New York Times published news about Trump revoking protection for Pompeo, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

According to anonymous sources familiar with the matter, Trump’s order went into effect Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET (04:00 GMT, Thursday), stripping both Pompeo and Hook, a former top aide, of their security details.

This comes after a previous report that Trump did the same thing to Bolton, his former national security advisor. Bolton confirmed the news to CNN with a statement on Tuesday: “I’m disappointed but not surprised.”

Trump has since defended the decision, calling Bolton a “very stupid person.”

“We’re not going to provide security for people for the rest of their lives. Why should we?,” Trump said.

But critics point out that Bolton, Pompeo and Hook all faced alleged assassination Threats from Iran.

The three leaders have taken a hard line against Iran throughout their foreign policy careers. Some analysts have speculated whether Trump’s decision to cancel their security details could be a form of retaliation for perceived disloyalty.

An official from former President Joe Biden’s administration confirmed to The Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, that Trump’s team was well aware of the threats to the three men.

This person called Trump’s decision “wildly irresponsible.”

Bolton angered Trump with his public criticism afterward She is expelled as National Security Advisor in 2019. He has served under previous Republican presidents including George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

In his memoir, Bolton wrote harshly about Trump’s leadership. “A mountain of facts proves that Trump is unfit to be president,” Bolton said.

Pompeo, meanwhile, was less vocal in his criticism, but briefly flirted with the possibility of a 2024 presidential run, before low polling numbers dampened his hopes. He campaigned on behalf of Trump in 2024.

During Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, Pompeo and Hook were the architects of the US “maximum pressure” stance toward Iran.

That period was marked by the United States’ withdrawal from detailing how to limit Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for easing devastating sanctions US sanctions.

It is unclear whether Trump will follow a similar strategy during his second term.

But some experts have predicted that members of Trump’s inner circle are becoming more critical of the tough, interventionist stance advocated by figures like Bolton and Pompeo.

Trump had said that Pompeo would not play any role in his administration. It was also announced this week on social media that Hook had been fired from his presidentially appointed position at the Wilson Center, a think tank.

Dozens of former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 saying the Hunter Biden laptop scandal bore signs of a “Russian information operation” also had their security clearances revoked in recent days.