Trump pulls security protections for Mike Pompeo, John Bolton

Former US President Donald Trump has revoked the security protection for Mike Pompeo, Brian Hook, and John Bolton, all hawkish foreign policy advisors who held key positions during his first term. This move has drawn widespread attention and is interpreted as retaliation for their past policy stances.

The New York Times first reported on Thursday that Trump had revoked the security protection for former CIA Director Pompeo. According to anonymous sources, Trump's order went into effect at 11:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday (04:00 GMT on Thursday), and the security protection for Pompeo and former senior aide Hook was also rescinded. It was previously reported that Trump had taken similar action against former National Security Advisor Bolton. Bolton confirmed the news to CNN on Tuesday, stating, "I'm disappointed, but not surprised."

Trump defended his decision, calling Bolton a "very stupid person." He also stated, "We're not going to have people protected for the rest of their lives. Why should we?" However, critics pointed out that Bolton, Pompeo, and Hook have all faced assassination threats from Iran. These three leaders have all taken a hard-line stance against Iran in their foreign policy careers. Some analysts speculate that Trump's decision to revoke their security protection may be a form of retaliation for their perceived disloyalty.

An official from former President Joe Biden's administration, speaking anonymously, confirmed to the Associated Press that Trump's team was well aware of the threats these three faced. The official called Trump's decision "deeply irresponsible." Bolton had angered Trump by publicly criticizing him after being fired in 2019. Bolton had served under previous Republican presidents, including George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. In his memoir, Bolton harshly criticized Trump's leadership. "A large body of evidence shows that Trump is unfit to be president," Bolton wrote.

Meanwhile, Pompeo has been relatively less critical, though he briefly considered running in the 2024 presidential election before dropping out due to low poll numbers. He subsequently campaigned for Trump's campaign in 2024. During Trump's first term from 2017 to 2021, Pompeo and Hook were the architects of the US's "maximum pressure" policy against Iran. During this period, the US withdrew from the agreement that limited Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of devastating sanctions on Iran. It is unclear whether Trump will adopt similar tactics in his second term. Some experts speculate that members of Trump's inner circle are more critical of the interventionist, hawkish stances advocated by figures like Bolton and Pompeo. Trump has stated that Pompeo will not play any role in his administration. This week, he also announced via social media that Hook had been fired from his presidential appointment at the Wilson Center. Additionally, the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials have also been revoked in recent days after they signed a letter in 2020 suggesting that the Hunter Biden laptop scandal had the hallmarks of a "Russian information operation."