EGN NEWS DESK
John R. Bolton, who fervently disavowed former President Donald J. Trump after serving as his nationwide safety adviser, stated on Wednesday that he could be voting for a Republican within the November election, simply as he did 4 years in the past — solely not for his previous boss however for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Mr. Bolton, a fixture in a number of Republican administrations and a former diplomat, revealed his selection for president in an look on CNN. It was the identical particular person, he stated, whom he wrote in in the course of the 2020 election.
“I’d as properly say it now: I voted for Dick Cheney,” he stated. “And I’ll vote for Dick Cheney once more this November.”
Mr. Bolton labored alongside Mr. Cheney, whom he described as a “principled Reaganite conservative,” within the administration of President George W. Bush, together with as ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Cheney is 83, practically two years older than President Biden (who’s 81) and about five-and-a-half years older than Mr. Trump (who’s 77).
“Age is not a consider American presidential politics, so his age doesn’t disqualify him,” Mr. Bolton stated of Mr. Cheney. “And I believe he’d do an immensely higher job than both Trump or Biden.”
In 2020, Mr. Bolton printed a scathing tell-all memoir about his dealings with Mr. Trump, whom he portrayed as corrupt, poorly knowledgeable and reckless. An up to date version of Mr. Bolton’s e book launched this 12 months warned {that a} second Trump presidency would concentrate on retribution.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly assailed his onetime nationwide safety adviser, calling him a “wacko” and a “boring idiot who solely needed to go to warfare” in a social media post in 2020.
“Never had a clue, was ostracized & fortunately dumped,” Mr. Trump wrote of Mr. Bolton’s departure from his administration.
On Wednesday, Kaitlan Collins of CNN requested Mr. Bolton whether or not he would contemplate supporting Liz Cheney, Mr. Cheney’s eldest daughter and a former House member from Wyoming whose criticism of Mr. Trump prompted her defeat within the Republican major in 2022.
“Well, I like Liz rather a lot,” he stated. “And possibly sometime she’ll get my write-in vote, too, however proper now I’ll stick together with her father.”
Mr. Cheney couldn’t be instantly reached for touch upon Thursday.
Mr. Bolton belongs to a cohort of former Trump administration officers who’ve stated they won’t vote for the previous president or have declined to endorse him.
Mark Esper, whom Mr. Trump fired as protection secretary within the waning days of his presidency and who opposed his plan to deploy troops to quell protests in U.S. cities in 2020, advised Bill Maher on “Real Time” in March that he wouldn’t help Mr. Trump this fall.
“There’s no method I’ll vote for Trump, however day-after-day that Trump does one thing loopy, the door to voting for Biden opens somewhat bit extra,” Mr. Esper stated.
And Mike Pence, who was Mr. Trump’s vice chairman, advised Fox News final month that he “couldn’t in good conscience” endorse him. He declined to say whether or not he would vote for Mr. Trump in November, however added, “I might by no means vote for Joe Biden.”
