Responding to the move, Mr. Bolton said he was looking forward to working with President Trump and his team "to make our country safer at home and stronger abroad".I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, @AmbJohnBolton will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2018
Mr Bolton, 69, has been a foreign policy hawk in Republican circles for decades, having served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and George W Bush. The second Bush appointed him as US envoy to the UN, during which time diplomats privately criticised Mr Bolton's style as abrasive. A strident neo-conservative, Mr Bolton helped build the case that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be wrong. Known for his walrus moustache, Mr Bolton does not appear to have greatly moderated his views since his last spell in government. He stands by the invasion of Iraq and has advocated in newspaper op-eds using military force against North Korea and Iran. Earlier this month, Donald Trump tweeted: "I still have some people that I want to change". He wasn't kidding. Since then chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, personal lawyer John Dowd and now National Security Adviser HR McMaster have headed to (or been shown) the exits. One explanation is that the president feels more comfortable in his job - and more willing to challenge the advice given him by his closest aides. He has chafed at the perception that he is being "handled" by those around him, and is installing men who agree to action, instead of preaching caution. When it comes to Iran, Mr Bolton and the president are on the same page. Coupled with Mr Tillerson's exit, the US is heading toward a much more confrontational relationship with the Islamic Republic. In other ways, however, the former UN ambassador is an unusual choice. Mr. Trump frequently has called the Iraq war a colossal mistake - the same war that Mr Bolton enthusiastically promoted during his time in the George W Bush administration. Candidate Trump regularly espoused non-interventionism. Mr. Bolton is a hawk's hawk. Now that hawk has a perch in the Oval Office. SOURCE: BBC News ---DECRYPTED---My official statement on accepting @POTUS' request to become the next National Security Advisor. pic.twitter.com/lptI5AwSeU
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 23, 2018