The decision over whether or not to launch a military strike against Iran is a dispute between Trump and John Bolton.
Trump Doesn’t Want Conflict. Bolton Does.
Alexander Marquardt of CNN tweeted:
Sr WH official tells me it's Bolton vs Trump on how to proceed on Iran. Trump does not want conflict. Pompeo, Pence, Esper are “swing votes.†Pompeo is "a triangulator," source tells @MichLKosinski, "the goal is re-establishing deterrence, but that is still very risky.â€
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) June 20, 2019
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If this was any other president who had a grasp of the issues and was in command of their own administration, I would say that the odds of a conflict with Iran are low, by ut this is Trump who isn’t tuned into the policies or what his administration is doing.
Trump made it clear that he doesn’t want a conflict by calling the drone shoot down a low-level mistake and trying to give Iran an out to deescalate the situation. John Bolton has wanted war with Iran for decades. Part of his plan during the Bush administration was to use the invasion of Iraq as a jumping off point for regime change in Iran. Bolton has been dreaming of a war with Iran for decades, and the only thing standing in his way is the isolationist impulse of Donald Trump.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
