Trump says the job of the NSA is 'easy' because he makes all the decisions and 'you don't have to work'
In less than three years since taking up the reins, President Donald Trump has seen the back of as many as three national security advisers (NSA). Starting with Michael Flynn, the president removed HR McMaster and more recently John Bolton from the plum post. The latest move was abrupt though according to the informed ones, it was always coming since Trump had found little in common with Bolton. The administration is yet to announce the fourth NSA of the Trump era and as the president believes, the job of the adviser is 'quite easy'.
The Republican met reporters outside the White House on Thursday, September 12, before leaving for Baltimore for a meeting with his party colleagues of the House. There, he explained why the NSA’s job is easy. Trump feels the job is easy because it is he who makes all the decisions.
“You know why it's easy? Because I make all of the decisions — you don't have to work,” he said. However, the maverick president added: “It’s a lot of fun to work for Donald Trump.” But why does the president say so?
Trump and Bolton never got along
Trump’s gap with Bolton was always widening with the latter taking uncompromising stands vis-a-vis countries like North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and others. Being a more home-bound person who hates to fight abroad, Trump did not find Bolton’s stand convincing and eventually it saw the NSA’s sacking. While Trump confirmed the news on Twitter, Bolton also took to the social media platform to contradict the president, saying he had already offered to resign to the former.
The official’s departure took place in the wake of Trump scuttling a scheduled secret meeting with the Taliban at the Camp David. Bolton was never happy over the meeting and even though it was cancelled, the former NSA had come under intense criticism over accusations of leaking his opposition. On Wednesday, a day after showing Bolton the door, Trump said the former made “some very big mistakes” including his advocacy for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also slammed Bolton for suggesting that Washington was eyeing to embrace the “Libyan model” for North Korea.
Speaking on Bolton’s probable replacement, Trump came up with different responses in the last two days. While he said he was considering at least five persons on Wednesday, the number was 15 the next day.
The president, who is expected to name his new NSA next week, dismissed reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo might take on the role of the NSA besides his current job. He said the secretary of state is not interested in the NSA’s job.