WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Thursday announced the departure of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, making room for hawkish diplomat John Bolton who will undoubtedly add more momentum to the increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy.
Ending weeks-long rumors about McMaster's exit, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that his second national security advisor will be leaving on April 9.
But the prospect of packing more hawks into the administration has caused an outcry from the media and politicians who voiced worries that a confrontational foreign policy would mean more volatility for the United States.
UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
At about 4 p.m. (2000 GMT) Thursday, Bolton, who has been rumored for some time as the frontrunner to succeed McMaster, was sighted by the press entering the West Wing of the White House, triggering fresh speculation that the decision to replace McMaster was looming.
Shortly after 6 p.m.(2200 GMT), the New York Times first reported McMaster's resignation, which was followed by a confirmation from Trump on Twitter.
"I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, @AmbJohnBolton will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9," he tweeted.
At about 6:30 p.m.(2230 GMT), the White House released a prepared statement on McMaster's departure, with good wishes from Trump, Chief of Staff John Kelly and McMaster.
According to a White House official, talks between Trump and McMaster regarding the latter's exit has been going on for a while, and the final decision was not based on any "one moment or incident," but was made after the two decided to end the constant speculation and have a new team in place.
Appearing in an interview with Fox TV, Bolton said the decision was finalized in his afternoon meeting at the White House, but he "didn't really expect" the announcement Thursday.
Rumors of McMaster's departure have circulated for weeks in Washington, reaching their peak a week ago when Trump ousted his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Trump said after firing Tillerson that he's getting very close to having the cabinet and other things that he wants, hinting at more shakeup in the White House after a tumultuous period that also saw the departure of Communications Director Hope Hicks and Economic Advisor Gary Cohn.
But White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has repeatedly refuted the rumor, saying Trump and McMaster enjoyed "a good working relationship."
The delayed announcement of McMaster's exit was reportedly due to Trump's intention to "save face" for the three-star general after the exceptionally humiliating firing of Tillerson received strong backlash.
There have been talks that McMaster may be promoted to a four-star general in the U.S. Army, or land a high-paying consultant job in the private sector, reports said.
In his statement, McMaster said he would be retiring from the army this summer.
INCOMING HAWK
While McMaster has been widely viewed as a composed and level-headed policy maker in Washington, Bolton has been the subject of much controversy during his political career.
Born in 1948, Bolton is a Yale Law School graduate that makes no effort to hide his conservative political stance.
He has served as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2005-2006 and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security from 2001-2005.
The White House said he is "one of the strongest voices and experts on the full range of national security issues and challenges facing the country." But David Rothkopf, a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a critic of Bolton, said his iconic mustache "is more qualified to be national security adviser than he is."
Bolton has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian nuclear deal and of the United Nations, and has been a strong advocate of the Iraq War during former U.S. President George W. Bush's tenure.
"The premise of Obama's #IranDeal was that if only the United States showed 'good faith' and dropped our 'harmful intent' toward Iran, they would give up their nuclear program and behave like a normal nation. None of this has happened," he tweeted recently.
After retiring from public posts, Bolton accepted positions in the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and has become a commentator with Fox News. He is also known to be linked with the National Rifle Association.
"Few prominent national security figures are as ill-suited to the job of national security adviser as Bolton when you consider his views," Rothkopf said.
