"Very stupid person"

Trump withdraws personal protection from intimate enemy Bolton

From 2018 to 2019, John Bolton (right) was US President Donald Trump's national security adviser, but the two have since fallen out.

(Bild: AFP)

Donald Trump wasted no time after taking office as US President and issued dozens of decrees within a few hours. The Republican has not forgotten his personal rivals under the motto "revenge is sweet" either, as he has now even withdrawn Secret Service personal protection from his former advisor John Bolton, with whom he has since fallen out.

"I'm disappointed, but not surprised," commented Bolton, who sees the danger of an Iranian assassination plot against him, on Trump's decision.

The Secret Service is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians and not only looks after the security of active elected officials, but also that of some former office holders.

Bolton a "very stupid person" for Trump
Trump was asked about the 76-year-old at a press conference and said: "We're not going to protect people for the rest of their lives. Why should we?" It was time to end the protection, he said. He added that he had thought Bolton was a "very stupid person" who had been useful to him. The long-time diplomat, who is considered a hardliner, was White House security adviser in 2018 and 2019, but then resigned in a dispute with Trump.

Bolton sees threat from contract killers
Bolton pointed out that the Department of Justice had filed charges against a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the country's elite fighting force, in 2022. The suspect allegedly tried to send a hit man after him, Trump's ex-advisor wrote. "This threat still exists today."

John Bolton

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Anna Moneymaker)

According to earlier statements by the US Department of Justice, the US Attorney's Office assumes that the murder plot against Bolton was intended as retaliation for a US missile attack in January 2020 in which Iranian General Ghassem Soleimani was killed. Tehran rejected this.

Trump considers sanctions against Russia
Trump is also highly active in other ways. On Wednesday night, he held out the prospect of further sanctions against Russia, but is also open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Whenever Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi are ready, he will meet with them, Trump said at the White House. When asked whether he would impose sanctions if Putin was not prepared to negotiate, Trump replied: "Sounds likely."

Billion-dollar AI project announced
Also on Wednesday night, Trump announced a project that is set to create 100,000 jobs in the USA: According to the announcement, ChatGPT developer OpenAI and major technology partners want to invest 500 billion dollars in new data centers for artificial intelligence.

22 US states take legal action against citizenship decree
However, Trump is also facing headwinds with his decisions. A total of 22 US states are taking legal action against the proposed abolition of US citizenship by birth. On Tuesday, 18 states, including California and New York, which are governed by Democrats, filed a lawsuit against a corresponding decree at a federal court in Massachusetts. Four other states later followed with a separate lawsuit filed in the state of Washington.