John Bolton Says He Briefed Trump On Strait of Hormuz Scenarios That the President Now Claims Ignorance About
Source: MEDIAite
Mar 17th, 2026, 9:18 pm
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told CNN he briefed President Donald Trump on multiple Iran retaliation scenarios during his first term, despite the president now claiming hes shocked by Irans actions.
Bolton, who served under Trump before a public falling out, joined CNNs Anderson Cooper on Tuesday evening, where he was surprised to hear Trump had indicated he wasnt made aware of the potential of retaliatory strikes Iran has since made against neighboring countries and the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant amount of the worlds oil moves through.
The president seemed to indicate yesterday that he had not been briefed on the potential that Iran might strike out at its neighbors or try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Is that conceivable to you that he would not have been briefed on those potential those potential, you know repercussions? Cooper asked Bolton.
Bolton noted hes long been a supporter of a regime change campaign in Iran though hes acknowledged mistakes Trumps made with his strikes and its one of the issues that set him at odds with officials in Trumps first administration. He said he brought up scenarios of striking Iran multiple times and retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere were always brought up.
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/john-bolton-says-he-briefed-trump-on-strait-of-hormuz-scenarios-that-the-president-now-claims-ignorance-about/
Roy Rolling
(7,668 posts)War and simply killing the people in a geographic area is not in Americas interests?
Who, other than every non-MAGAt in the world, couldve predicted war is not a universal answer for weak man-boys to get what they want.
Irish_Dem
(81,954 posts)Trump thinks he holds all the cards.
Multichromatic
(172 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(136,582 posts)PatSeg
(53,281 posts)He honestly thinks he can do anything and the rest of the world will cave to his demands.
Irish_Dem
(81,954 posts)When you empower and give immunity to a total psychopath,
you will get the crime of the century.
How could so many go along with this madness without any pushback? They can't all be victims of blackmail or bribery
BattleRow
(2,622 posts)catering to every delusion and desire.
We know what throne the King died on.....
At least Elvis had talent.
(And I spelled sycophants as psychophants on purpose ).
underpants
(196,900 posts)From his echo chamber of sycophants and parasites to the Tech Broligarchy to an at least complicit if not state run media to the standing ovation he gets at dinner when hes fleecing us for money (his weekend job).
Irish_Dem
(81,954 posts)No outside opinion is wanted or needed.
Trump goes where the money is.
Period. He doesn't need help with that.
MyOwnPeace
(17,600 posts)Who can ever watch those videos of a cabinet meeting where they line up to drop down and give appropriate honors ( yeah, application of lips on the giant orange Lord) - makes you want to BARF!
C_U_L8R
(49,459 posts)Trump has to be the dumbest person in America.
Ray Bruns
(6,558 posts)So, this is really on you Bolton.
FakeNoose
(42,037 posts)John Bolton is just flapping his gums about nothing. Everyone who's ever worked for Chump in ANY capacity, knows he won't listen to anyone or take anyone's advice. For Bolton to mention something he said to Chump in the first term is just ludicrous.
SunSeeker
(58,344 posts)multigraincracker
(37,856 posts)Now I call it dementia.
Im his age.
Laf.La.Dem.
(2,977 posts)That is super funny - no one can argue about that.
malthaussen
(18,599 posts)All you have to do is look at a map.
-- Mal
Hope22
(4,824 posts)There are zero surprises!
underpants
(196,900 posts)tanyev
(49,456 posts)thesquanderer
(13,062 posts)Seinan Sensei
(1,603 posts)Did you draw him stick-figures with a Sharpie?
Orrex
(67,267 posts)Hes ignorant about pretty much everything.
irisblue
(37,673 posts)I suspect Bolton is talking to 1-maybe get a job with Vance 2- trying to lay down defense tactics for his upcoming 2027 trial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_John_Bolton
( yes that is a Firefly quote massaged in there)
James48
(5,247 posts)Trump will continue to ratchet the stakes up.
If he lands 5,000 Marines on Kharg Island- then what?
Iran will move them off. There is no neat and easy way that this ends.
Hes destroyed everything.
frogstar0
(265 posts)can you expect him to remember what his national security advisor say 8 years ago? People are so unfair to little Donny. Expecting him to understand that other people might not see how he has the very best of everything and they need to just do what he saids. How is he supposed to keep all these countries and presidents straight? So unfair.
ChicagoTeamster
(1,120 posts)They probably had to explain that Bolton told him attacking Iran would be very bad and he would wind up losing reelection. That, he listens to.
mgardener
(2,383 posts)Not know that Trump has the attention span of a gnat?
BradBo
(1,040 posts)He gonna get more and more unhinged now. Even more than he already is.
Bluetus
(2,978 posts)let alone with Bolton told him 6 years ago.
iemanja
(57,772 posts)another indication that he isn't fit to be President.
republianmushroom
(22,494 posts)Raven123
(7,861 posts)Trump is demented, but he has had help from the neo-cons.
BumRushDaShow
(171,073 posts)And that has brought neocons like Bolton and even Condaleeza Rice, out of hibernation.
Raven123
(7,861 posts)BumRushDaShow
(171,073 posts)he was at an "undisclosed location"!
patphil
(9,150 posts)And briefings are oh so boring.
Playingmantis
(671 posts)mdbl
(8,721 posts)But that's just giving him an excuse.
DallasNE
(8,018 posts)Bolton didn't dumb it down enough for Trump to understand the retaliation measures he was laying out. Trump never shows the gravitas that situations like this call for. I remember Kissinger talking about the Gulf of Hormuz some 50 years or so ago. Something I have alway wondered is whether anybody ever studied the feasibility of blasting a canal through that tip, taking that hazardous tip out of play. The current National Security Advisor has been thrown under the bus by Trump, so why hasn't he resigned? He is being blamed for thes mess.
BumRushDaShow
(171,073 posts)is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143633393
MorbidButterflyTat
(4,650 posts)Got another book coming out?
Fuck off, Bolton.