Former US ambassador to the UN, who advocated military strikes in North Korea and Iran, replaces Lt Gen HR McMaster.
US President Donald Trump has named John Bolton as his new National Security Adviser, raising alarms among opposition leaders and foreign policy experts, who called the former American ambassador to the United Nations a warmonger over his record on the Iraq war and views on Iran and North Korea.
In a social media post late on Thursday, Trump announced that Bolton will replace Lt General HR McMaster as his chief adviser on national security beginning on April 9.
In a statement, Bolton said he has accepted the appointment, adding that it is a « honour » to become a part of Trump’s cabinet.
« The United States currently faces a wide array of issues and I look forward to working with President Trump and his leadership team in addressing these complex challenges in an effort to make our country safer at home and stronger abroad ».
Bolton’s appointment and McMaster’s departure followed weeks of political turmoil in Washington DC.
Last week, Trump forced out Rex Tillerson as his US Secretary of State and appointed CIA director Mike Pompeo as replacement.
A White House source told Al Jazeera that Trump and McMaster « mutually agreed » on the decision for him to resign.
The source denied that the reshuffle was related to recent developments in Trump’ s cabinet, saying it was the result of « ongoing conversations » between the two officials.
