Bolton: Trump doesn't like being briefed; he doesn't see the need for it

Record ID: 1559866

  • Title: Bolton: Trump doesn't like being briefed; he doesn't see the need for it
  • Date: 30th June 2020
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 30, 2020) (REUTERS VIA ZOOM - Broadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JOHN BOLTON, SAYING: "I think what we need is a more comprehensive strategy to deal with Russia. I think, in Vladimir Putin and his government, you've got somebody playing a very weak hand very well. And, I don't really think we're playing much of a hand at all. It's part of the problem the President has in distinguishing between his personal relationship with a foreign leader, especially an adversary, on the one hand, and the actual substance of the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and another country on the other. It's not the case that if there are good personal relations, there are good bilateral relations. And, I think that's something Americans need to keep in mind."
  • Embargoed: 14th July 2020 19:05
  • Keywords: Donald Trump John Bolton Kim Jong Un Vladimir Putin Xi Jinping
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Reuters ID: LVA002CKKC85J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday (June 30) the United States should consider economic sanctions on Russia as part of a strong U.S. response if it is true that Moscow offered bounty payments to Taliban forces for killing Americans in Afghanistan.
    Speaking to Reuters Television, Bolton said the reports, if confirmed, were "tantamount to an attack on Americans directly" and the publication of them appears to have triggered "chaos and confusion" within the White House.
    "What we need is a more comprehensive strategy to deal with Russia. I think in (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and his government, you've got somebody playing a very weak hand very well. And I don't really think we're playing much of a hand at all," he said.
    Bolton declined to confirm or deny reports in the New York Times and Washington Post of U.S. intelligence about the bounties. Trump denied on Monday having been briefed on the effort, which the reports said may have led to the deaths of U.S. service personnel.
    (Production: Kevin Fogarty, George Tamerlani)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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