Special Poll
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is once again voicing sharp criticism of President Trump’s foreign policy approach this time taking direct aim at Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the administration’s mishandling of global alliances, including its increasingly dismissive posture toward Europe.
In a recent interview, Bolton didn’t hold back when discussing Vice President J.D. Vance’s comments and actions, especially those seen in the now-infamous Signal group chat leak where top Trump officials deliberated over an airstrike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Vance had expressed disdain for European allies, framing U.S. military involvement in the Red Sea as little more than a favor to Europe.
Bolton rejected that view as dangerously naive. “I can’t explain what is motivating Vance,” he said, “but I do think it reflects a very primitive view of international relations not that different from Trump’s, frankly where everything is just dollars and cents.”
According to Bolton, this kind of thinking overlooks the core strategic principle that has underpinned American foreign policy for generations: engagement abroad serves U.S. interests, not just those of its allies. He argues that while it’s true some allies don’t always pull their weight, the U.S. doesn’t engage in international security purely out of generosity it’s about protecting global stability that ultimately benefits America.
Bolton also emphasized that the U.S. has long been a global maritime power, citing the freedom of the seas as a foundational element of U.S. foreign policy. He referenced the situation in Yemen, where the Houthis’ blockade threatens vital maritime routes through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. While the trade routes primarily support European commerce, Bolton noted that America has always defended the seas because global order benefits the U.S. as well.
He drew a direct historical line back to Thomas Jefferson, who in the early 1800s refused to pay tribute to the Barbary Pirates and instead sent the U.S. Navy to confront them a move that inspired the phrase “to the shores of Tripoli” in the Marines’ Hymn. “That’s not very far from the Red Sea,” Bolton said, arguing that freedom of the seas has always been a bipartisan American value, and it’s not something to walk away from just because the immediate benefits seem to help others.
What concerned Bolton most, however, is Trump’s ongoing misjudgment of global adversaries. “He thinks he and Putin are friends,” Bolton said flatly. “And that kind of thinking leads to manipulation.” Bolton has long warned that Trump’s overconfidence in personal diplomacy, particularly with authoritarian leaders like Putin, leaves him vulnerable to being played with real-world consequences for U.S. foreign policy and global stability.
Bolton also lamented what he sees as a generational decline in understanding America’s global role, suggesting that younger politicians like Vance have not been properly educated on the strategic rationale for U.S. engagement abroad. “If the vice president wants a lesson on freedom of the seas and American policy, it’s all out there,” he said. “Just open a book.”
The critique highlights a growing divide within the Republican Party between Trump-aligned populists who prioritize domestic interests and isolationist instincts, and traditional conservatives like Bolton who argue that America’s security is inextricably tied to its leadership on the global stage.
Whether Trump’s second-term team will heed those warnings remains to be seen. But as Bolton sees it, the stakes are clear and the risks of ignoring history are rising.