Former national security adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that President-elect Trump’s nominees for director of national intelligence and attorney general, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), should not be doing this. Attend Senate confirmation hearings pending FBI investigation.
In an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Bolton said a formal investigation would send a message to China that the United States is serious about national security.
“I don’t think either she or Matt Gaetz need to have a confirmation hearing until after a full investigation by the FBI,” Bolton told anchor Blake Berman. “Then I think the Chinese will say, ‘Maybe it’s serious.’”
Asked by Berman whether he was calling for an investigation into Gabbard, Bolton said, “I think so,” adding, “Given the propaganda that Russia has espoused over the past few years, I think she poses a serious threat to us.” national security.”
In the interview, Bolton heavily criticized Trump’s choice of positions, calling Gabbard and Gaetz two of the worst cabinet appointments in recent history.
Regarding the message President Trump is trying to send to China, Bolton said, “The appointment of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence sends a signal that we have lost our minds on intelligence collection.”
“Just a few hours ago I would have said it was the worst cabinet appointment in recent American history. Of course, since Matt Gaetz was drafted, he has clearly taken the lead in that score.”
Bolton expressed concern about the message Gabbard was sending to China.
“This is not an indication that the administration is serious about intelligence, which is one of the most important aspects of countering threats like China,” he said.
Bolton recalled an interview Gabbard gave after Congress was briefed on the Trump-ordered assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.
According to Bolton, Gabbard said in a 2020 interview that she was “concerned about the illegal and unconstitutional acts of war committed at the behest of President Trump.”
Bolton asked, “So is that the person we’re going to have in charge of the overall intelligence community?”
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