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TRUMP TOO OLD ... TOO UNWELL Times Radio: There’s ‘something’ wrong with Donald Trump: John Bolton PLAY YOUTUBE VIDEO Original article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBIRPVUkWBA Peter Burgess COMMENTARY John Bolton has not been one of my favorite Republicans, but compared to Trump, Bolton is a gentle genius. In many ways, America has evolved into a three party system ... (1) Trump's MAGA Republicans, (2) Wealthy Republicans who simply cannot stomach anything thst leans to the left and socialism, and (3) comletely confused Democrats that make up the biggest voting block by far but never seem to agree on anything and never vote anywhere near 100% of the block! Group 1 and group 2 together make up less than the total of group 3 ... but Group 3 does not win elections because many in this group always seems to have a reason for being mad about something and not voting But on the subject of Trump, I agree with Bolton. Maybe I am more concerned that the scale of the damage that Trump will do than Bolton ... that is Bolton is more optimistic than I am, and I think I am more concerned that the Trump acolytes will prove to have a lot more staying power than is good for the nation and the world. My optimism is at near zero! Peter Burgess
There’s ‘something’ wrong with Donald Trump: John Bolton Times Radio Feb 27, 2025 1.26M subscribers Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton tells Times Radio’s Maddie Hale there’s “something wrong” with President Trump who isn’t “all there” in the head if he is constantly comparing himself to authoritarian figures such as Vladimir Putin. Join this channel to get access to perks - / @listentotimesradio 📻 Listen to Times Radio - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio 🗞 Subscribe to The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/subscribe/... 📲 Get the free Times Radio app https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio/how-... Transcript 0:00 you know his fascination with authoritarian figures I think is because he he he sees them as big guys decisive they're strong strong people and he wants to be like them uh and I would say there's something wrong with somebody who's president of the United States who thinks they have to compare themselves to anybody else hi I'm Maddie hail and welcome to the Trump report today we've had a special guest on we've had John Bolton former National sec security advisor to Donald Trump he's spoken to us about what advice he would give K starm when in the face of Donald Trump today at their meeting in Washington we've spoken to him about the Tate Brothers uh being allowed into the United States we've spoken to him on his thoughts if Donald Trump should take a cognitive test again he took one in 2018 to prove that he was sound of mind but is it time for another one so all that today on the Trump report you can watch us on YouTube times radio's YouTube or stream us as a podcast anywhere you get your podcast 1:00 John Bolton a former National Security advisor under the Trump Administration thank you so much for joining the Trump report today is such a pleasure to have someone of your expertise on the show I want to start timely with you uh the Tate Brothers Andrew and Tristan are on their way to the United States from Romania after the Trump Administration reportedly pressured Romania to lift their travel ban now these are two brothers that are have been that are uh charged with rape and human trafficking and convicted of tax evasion from your standpoint from a security standpoint why would Donald Trump allow these two to come into the United States uh that's a question I can't answer I'm absolutely stunned by this I'm stunned that uh he had American officials contact Romanian officials at the Munich security conference uh some days back to ask about the possibility of getting the tape Brothers out uh I just assume leave them in Romania or leave them to Great Britain to prosecute 2:01 for what they're charged with there uh but it it it could be explained by Trump's fascination with getting Americans uh out of difficult circumstances sometimes when they're hostages sometimes as in the case of uh uh a a a person who was uh arrested in Sweden for getting into an altercation uh that uh a famous rap star that that he wanted to get out of Swedish prison too I I didn't quite understand that but it's just it's that's that that is a factor that you see in in Trump's Behavior Uh moving on to a different subject John this week we had uh French president Emanuel macron meet with Trump uh where Donald Trump refused to say whether he thought Vladimir Putin was a dictator and then in his first cabinet meeting yesterday he said that Putin was smart and cunning uh and continued to say that the war wouldn't have happened if he was uh president at the time how d dangerous do you think this kind of 3:01 complimentary language is that Donald Trump uses about Vladimir Putin or I guess the lack of condemnation well I think it's very very serious and it's a huge mistake for the United States and and for the West as a whole and uh you you can see by the comments that he's made by the actions the United States has taken voting uh in the United Nations against the resolution condemning Russian aggression us voting alongside Russia North Korea bellarus uh even China didn't vote with Russia they abstained on that resolution so we're on the opposite side of the NATO alliance as a whole and uh it's bad news for Ukraine bad news for Ukraine's prospects but but bad news for NATO too as he consistently drives wedges between the United States uh and and its allies and I don't I don't see that diminishing I've said for quite some time I'm very worried that Trump would completely withdraw the United States from NATO he came close to it in 2018 he might he 4:02 might well do it this time or he might take steps that so weaken NATO uh that by the time he actually withdrew it would just be a formality what was your reaction your immediate reaction to when you saw the United States voting with Russia at that UN General Assembly well it was disgraceful I mean it's uh it it's a contrary to reality it buys the Russian argument that NATO provoked the war uh by talking about the Ukrainian membership in fact that's been the United States position uh since 2008 when George W bush proposed to bring Ukraine and Georgia into NATO on a on a fast track so if if uh if that were provocative to Russia uh one wonders why they didn't attack Ukraine before why they waited to 2014 and then again in 2022 n NATO has nothing to do with this this is part of the design that Vladimir Putin has stated open publicly since 5:01 2005 when he said the breakup of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century he's trying to put the Russian Empire back together again Ukraine is a big part of that in his mind and many many other Russians this is not just Putin's War it really is a Russian war and and if you can't see that uh then you're blinded to to the steps you need to take to resist the aggression and to try and deter future aggression whether it's by Russia in Europe or by China along its indopacific periphery uh where do you see the state of the alliance right now John between Europe and the United States after a a pretty insane few weeks well I think it's in trouble and uh I think it's a it's uh important for uh particularly for NATO members who are also in the European Union not reflexively to say well we can't count on the United States we'll just have the European Union worry about the defense that isn't going to 6:01 happen that isn't enough uh and uh it's it there's going to be a long period here of having to grit your teeth and and bear with Donald Trump try and distract him so he doesn't do more damage to Nato uh in the hopes that when he disappears he he is an aberration and that we will snap back to a more normal policy uh but it's uh it's it's going to be very very dangerous for Ukraine zalinsky comes to Washington on Friday and uh and he will obviously make another effort to try and keep the US on on side with Ukraine uh and how how well he does or how poorly he does could tell us a lot about what's going to happen once the real negotiations with Russia start when you see Donald Trump the way he the language that he uses when he's speaking about Vladimir Putin kind of coupled with the fact that it's quite divisive right now between the US and its NATO members and Europe and uh everyone we thought were allies 7:01 basically how do you think xiin ping and Kim Jong-un are looking on the situation do you think they're looking at Donald Trump uh looking as if there's a weak spot now well I think I think they've uh followed the war in Ukraine from the time it started and and especially now watching Trump I think Putin jesen ping Kim Jong-un all believe that uh they know how to manipulate Trump they know he doesn't know very much he doesn't care to know very much he cares only about personal relations he thinks everything in life is just another deal to be made he doesn't have a a grand strategy doesn't have a philosophy he doesn't really even do policy they they're considering how they're going to take advantage of trump in office uh as they've seen uh Vladimir Putin uh take advantage of him by flattery and by releasing an American hostage and having bellus release an American hostage uh this is the way that uh that Putin is 8:00 able to manipulate Trump and I think X and Kim both think they can do it too uh this week John Trump unveiled uh a plan for selling a gold card Visa which would cost about $5 million and it essentially allow anyone wealthy to be able to buy purchase a permanent um residency which would in turn lead you on the path to citizenship in the United States now a reporter asked Trump whether Russian oligarchs would be eligible to purchase a $5 billion gold Visa to which he kind of laughed and said well I don't know possibly I know some pretty nice oligarchs what was your reaction to this is such a a bizarre backflip right well there are oligarchs who many of whose Assets in Russia have been seized who are not pro Putin but there also a lot of them that still are pro Putin I'd like to know the ones he knows and why he thinks they're such good folks uh and it will undoubtedly feed speculation about what exactly it is the oligarchs have on him you know 9:00 many countries have programs that uh that provide for visas and Resident status for people who invest in the country the US that's the current program the US has it has many difficulties with it but many European countries have it Canada has a similar program uh it it takes a Donald Trump though basically to say let's do it for $5 million and see who signs up uh the one thing I can say is that every applicant for a US Visa uh gets a background check fingerprints taken you know hopefully we will do the same for the people poning up $5 million uh because if I if I were a terrorist group and I wanted to get people into the United States uh or if I were an adversary of the United States that wanted more people with permanent resident status I'd find a lot of $5 million checks to get those people in so uh it it may be it may be a development that will help uh bring more investment into the United States that's really what we should be looking for but there's a danger there too there's no doubt about 10:00 absolutely uh John tomorrow as you mentioned president zilinski will be visiting the White House where he said that he's set to assign this $500 billion minerals contract with Donald Trump uh the problem being is that there is concern uh the contract doesn't include enough security for Ukraine from the United States what kind of protection should zalinski be asking for tomorrow when he meets with Donald Trump well I think this particular agreement we we don't know the details I mean there have been leaks of pieces of it it I must say it sounds to me uh more like it's an agreement to agree that is to say there's not much in it and it saves face for both uh Trump and zinski the $500 billion doll figure for example is apparently not in the deal which is what Trump was saying so substantively I'm not sure uh what this piece of paper they're going to sign will do I think it's cosmetic and political for both of them but if U if seninsky based on what happened with mraw and 11:02 starmer uh uh is still of a view that he doesn't have a prospect of adequate security guarantees particularly from the United States that's going to be his Central pitch to Trump and I'm worried that he's going to fail as I think MCR failed and starmer May Fail uh that As Trump said in his cabinet meeting yesterday thinks it's mostly for Europeans to to make the security guarantees which is evidence of a mindset that thinks that Europe's alone long way away from the United States and what happens in Europe you know it's like Neville Chamberlain talking about the talking about Czechoslovakia is a far away country which obviously it wasn't uh seninsky needs to find a way to appeal to to Trump's ego because that's always what's uppermost on Trump's mind don't talk about Ukraine security talk about what will benefit Donald Trump what will enhance his reputation uh and why selling out to Russia will harm his reputation which which it will in history even though I'm 12:01 quite sure at this moment Trump doesn't see that uh when it when it came to the 2024 presidential election John it was a hotly contested subject about how much Aid the United States was sending how much protection they were giving to Ukraine do you think that Donald Trump is basically keeping that in mind that perhaps America does feel like this is Europe's problem it's Europe's doorstep that Ukraine is on so why would America have to always come to save other countries and Drive yeah well there's no doubt Europe should be doing more uh Britain has really been in the lead within Europe Germany and others uh uh in what Donald Rumsfeld called Old Europe really have not Poland the Baltic republics have been uh very forthcoming in in helping Ukraine but you know the real question is what's in America's interest and it's been in our interest for a long time to have peace and and stability in Europe for economic reasons for our own security that's what we get 13:00 out of the NATO alliance U and it's it's not something you can say well we'll let the Europeans do it uh and if they fail or if Ukraine fails we don't care we do care if Russia comes to dominate Ukraine it poses a bigger threat elsewhere in Europe to to PE to countries that are NATO members to our economic interests to to a whole range of political and Military interests world's a complicated Place Donald Trump doesn't get the complications Europe's uh right right there with Ukraine so it's Europe's problem s sounds easy and straightforward it's just completely wrong tomorrow when these two meet when Trump and zinsky made how do you I know that we can't predict the future we don't know exactly how this meeting will go but how do you think it will the interaction will go with zalinski who's just been labeled a dictator and a you know a moderately I guess successful comedian from the commander-in-chief of the United States well I'm very pessimistic about the outcome you know much of what Trump has said about zinsky has been Russian propaganda I I remember 14:02 uh in 2019 soon after zinsky was actually elected uh Trump had a conversation with Putin that I listened in on because I that's part of my job is to listen into all his conversations with heads of state and uh Putin was was deriding zilinski said we know him well in in in Russia we we watch his TV show with subtitles um and uh you know he's he's an okay comedian and it just it went on like that and and uh and and you could see Trump just eating it up because here he had uh Putin criticizing zalinsky W with whom he he had the famous perfect phone conversation that led to Trump's first impeachment it goes back to Trump thinking if I have good relations with somebody us has good relations with the country and if I have bad relations the countries have bad relations he still thinks somewhere in Ukraine Hillary Clinton's computer server is being hidden that was used used against him in the 2016 campaign 15:01 he's never gotten on with zinski s because of the impeachment I give ziny a lot of credit he's tried very hard over the past six months to develop a relationship with Trump from from what I can see I don't think he succeeded I think tomorrow could be the acid test well uh on the note of the kind of the relationships that Trump has John today K starma will be visiting Washington you're someone that has spent a lot of time with Donald Trump knowing his personality knowing how he works with these big leaders um what how do you think K St should act towards Donald Trump in order to mend the relationship between the two countries which is quite divisive right now well I think uh the the the it's it's it's not a guaranteed way to succeed but it's usually uh pretty likely to is flatter him tell him how wonderful he is U appeal to his ego which is and and again as with seninsky explain 16:01 why what you want whatever kir starmer wants uh Trump can be made to understand it will make him look good uh doesn't care about enhancing British security doesn't really care about enhancing American Security cares about enhancing Donald Trump this is hard for people to understand it was hard for me to understand that he didn't think in policy terms that he didn't uh he didn't have any kind of overarching concept what he thinks America's place in the world is it's about Donald TR Trump's place in the world and uh you know PE people should uh should approach it that way if the objective is to get to the right result then just think up an argument that you wouldn't make with any other leader in the world but you could make with Donald Trump because you would be playing do is ego well in that sense John is it is it fine to say that the the peace deal between Russia and Ukraine will only be brokered because Donald Trump wants to get this done for his legacy to say that he did this 17:00 whatever the outcome is sure he wants the Nobel Peace Prize he has he has been upset ever since 2009 when Barack Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize and and to an extent with good reason Barack Obama didn't deserve the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 uh he had only been in office for a few months when the Nobel committee made the decision it was ridiculous it was a was a it was a joke for the Nobel Peace Prize itself but but in Trump's mind he should have it if if Barack Obama got it why shouldn't Trump have it um and uh and he he convinced Shinzo AB the Prime Minister of Japan to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize I'm sure AB laughed as he signed the nomination because he knew it wasn't going to happen but maybe starmer should say I will nominate you when I get back to London for the Nobel Peace Prize in fact now that I think about it that may do the trick that's excellent advice from from you uh peace deal negotiations will kick off again today in Turkey between the US 18:00 and Russia uh do you have any inclination of how long you think that we'll be get going before we get the end of this war well I I don't think uh there's any sign from zinsky that he's about to make concessions I think uh much of what's happened in the past couple weeks since Trump's inauguration has actually strengthened zelinsky's position in Ukraine I think the people are more determined to resist uh and and let's not forget about Moscow Trump has already given them uh big chunks of the positions they wanted the giving up on restoring Ukraine to full sovereignty and territorial Integrity removing the possibility of NATO membership essentially removing the possibility of us participation in security guarantees so in in the Kremlin they're sitting around thinking good grief we didn't ask for enough let's ask for more so their their position is actually toughening uh because they think that that Trump will in order to make the deal will go out of his way to provide additional 19:00 concessions so I don't I don't think the path of these negotiations will be uh even and I don't think it will be quick and and Trump Ste Steve wickoff kind of failed to say if Russia would be making any concessions within Donald Trump in his cabinet meeting said that they would but we obviously don't know the ins and the outs but moving on John you told CNN the other day that you thought Donald Trump's brain was full of marsh he wasn't making much sense anymore uh look this was was n taken seriously when there were concerns about Joe Biden's cognitive abilities throughout his term so my question is do you think it's time for Donald Trump to take a a cognitive exam the way he did in 2018 well it was a really tough exam uh you know could he tell what an elephant was and things like that look part of this is is he experiencing cognitive decline or was he always at the level he's at now and I would tend toward the latter view I don't I don't I didn't think he was fit to be president when he was in don't think he's fit to be president now he doesn't have uh the 20:02 basic knowledge that uh presidents have to have he has no interest in learning uh and and uh he doesn't read any briefing papers or anything like that so uh you know whether he's declined or not he's not up to the job and uh but that that doesn't bother his his supporters unfortunately and I I think it's it's one of the reasons why he's such an easy Mark for people like Vladimir Putin who know how to manip him and he doesn't even realize he's being manipulated he said of Kim Jong-un of North Korea uh we fell in love well I I can guarantee that's not what Kim Jong-un thinks but it's a way for them to get what they want out of out of trump while he's trying to make sure that he doesn't uh disrupt the friendship that he thinks he has with him in the last four weeks since he's been president John and saying that he's a brain is kind of full of mush right now whether or if you should take a cognitive exam is there anything specific spefic specific moments that you've been watching on 21:01 thinking you're not all there well I I think he's not there in the sense he doesn't appreciate what it means to act at the at the international level uh you know his fascination with authoritarian figures I think is because he he he sees them as big guys decisive they're strong strong people and he wants to be like them uh and I would say there's something wrong with somebody who's president of the United States who thinks they have to compare themselves to anybody else but Trump is constantly doing that uh you recently spoke at Yale University John where you spoke about how Amer America shouldn't be afraid of a raing regime change was of course of kind of taking out one administrational party and bringing in another one through military force do you think that that is what should happen right now in the US no no no what what I I was talking about American foreign policy look looking at the you know the controversy we've seen seen over the past 20 years about regime change the 22:01 overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the like and it was a debate at the Yale political union like the Oxford and Cambridge unions and uh uh I was I was trying to explain however controversial it's been it's nothing new in human history it's a it's a tool in our national security toolbox ju just like it is for everybody else and it's really it's the opposite side of the coin of regime preservation when you try and keep your friends uh secure just finally one more question for you John uh looking at the situation in the United States right now if you had to nail down one thing what do you think is the biggest national security threat facing the United States today well I think right now it's China and what they're up to whether they will make a play at Taiwan whether they'll do something else in the South China Sea something along their land borders with Vietnam or India uh I I think it's a country that has hegemonic aspirations in its region in the near term and you can see that by its more aggressive 23:02 behavior toward Japan South Korea Taiwan and others I don't think we're thinking enough about it uh I think we need to do a lot more to be prepared uh and I think Europe needs to do a lot more about it because as this China Russia AIS comes together uh you're going to find that uh what happens in Asia doesn't stay in Asia and what happens in Europe doesn't stay in Europe John Bolton thank you so much for joining the Trump report today glad to be with you [Music]

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