WASHINGTON - In response to President Trump’s announcement that John Bolton will take over as national security advisor effective April 9, 2018, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement:

“You would be hard pressed to find anyone who’s ever held public office in the U.S. who would be a more dangerous choice for the role of national security advisor than John Bolton. The national security advisor works just a few steps away from the President. Putting such a knee-jerk, perennial hawk in that office does not bode well for the peace and security of the United States. 

“John Bolton’s record of pushing for military solutions to diplomatic problems is unsurpassed. Bolton was one of the chief advocates for the disastrous Iraq war and unlike many Iraq hawks he still thinks the invasion was a good idea. Bolton called for bombing Iran during the height of nuclear negotiations that led to the successful implementation of the Iran agreement. And during the Bush administration his fingerprints are all over the failure of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea that led ultimately to North Korea testing its first nuclear device. Paired with the nomination of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, this signals that the Trump administration has little interest in pursuing real diplomacy with North Korea, in fact, Bolton’s recent advocacy for preventive strikes on North Korea suggests just the opposite.

“This isn’t just another terrible appointment, this tips Trump’s hand about the likelihood of military action on the Korean Peninsula. Americans who recognize the recklessness of starting a war with North Korea need to stand up make themselves heard. Whether or not Trump follows through with his plan to meet with Kim Jong-un, Bolton’s appointment to this central role at the national security council strongly suggests Trump intends to sabotage the budding diplomatic opening, declare that diplomacy failed, and pivot back to war.”