John Bolton: Vladimir Putin Can Play Trump “Like a Fiddle”

John Bolton says Vladimir Putin isn’t worried about Donald Trump because he can “play him”. The former National Security Advisor has made a series of serious accusations.

Bolton spoke to ABC’s Martha Raddatz in an interview to air this Sunday. He told her the Russian president isn’t “worried” about President Trump.

“I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle,” Bolton said.

“I think Putin is smart, tough, I think he sees that he’s not faced with a serious adversary here.”

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Bolton said that Trump might be a “superb dealmaker” when it comes to real estate, but that was not the case when it came to international relations or international security.

“Dealing with arms limitation treaties on strategic weapons, dealing in many, many other international security issues are things far removed from his life experience,” he said.

“When you’re dealing with someone like Putin who has made his life understanding Russia’s strategic position in the world against Donald Trump, who doesn’t enjoy reading about these issues or learning about them, it’s a very difficult position for America to be in.”

The White House is scrambling to prevent Bolton’s book, The Room Where It Happened, from being published later this month. However, a lawsuit looks unlikely to succeed.

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Darragh Roche

Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media