New National Security Adviser John Bolton is "a lot tougher on Russia" than President Donald Trump, and they will likely clash with each other on that, former Ambassador Nicholas Burns said Friday.
But even worse, Burns told MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Trump's latest assignment could lead to putting the United States on the verge of two nuclear crises in the next few months.
"It is almost inevitable now that the administration, very unwisely, will pull out of the Iran nuclear deal," said Burns. "Iranians will very likely, under the influence of the Revolutionary Guards, ramp up their nuclear program."
Also, if Trump gives an ultimatum to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the first meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader, that could also lead to crisis, Burns said.
"Do we want two nuclear crises in the space of two months?" said Burns. "I think this is very bad news."
Burns, though, called Bolton the "most experienced person in the room," as he has "a lot of experience at the State Department, at the Defense Department, in the Justice Department. He was ambassador to the U.N."
Bolton "knows the world," Burns continued, and "always has been" tougher on Russia.
"He is also kind of an intractable, bulldozer type of person," Burns said. "I've known him very well. I've worked with him. I've clashed with him. I think he and Trump will clash over Russia."
Burns said he also believes Trump and Bolton will clash over NATO, pointing out that just this week, Bolton tweeted a question asking why the organization hasn't done more to react to a nerve agent attack that killed a former Russian spy in the United Kingdom.
"The answer is, Donald Trump hasn't led NATO to do that," said Burns."There's a clash coming there."
Burns said he also is concerned about Bolton's belief in the "force of arms" to solve situations.
"He doesn't believe that diplomacy can be practical and successful," Burns said. "His version of diplomacy tends to be sledgehammer diplomacy, either do it our way or else. That just doesn't work in the modern world. It certainly is not going to work with the Iranians."
The Iran problem, he added, "is going to be substantial for us" and will create a "big gulf" between the United States and France, Germany and Britain, as well as with Russia and China.
"It puts us back, unfortunately, 15 years to the week that we invaded Iraq, possibly in another Middle East war," said Burns. "I hope that's not the case. But if you look at the past record and look at the president's proclivities and those of Mike Pompeo this is a potentially combustible mix."
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., also appearing on Friday's program, said he believes Trump is "indulging his worst instincts, both here domestically and in his foreign policy, and is "going to a much more radical approach."
If he intends that to include challenging special counsel Robert Mueller, that could create more issues, including with Republicans, said Markey.
"They know that if he does this, that he is trying to short circuit, in the same way Richard Nixon tried to short circuit the investigation of him by firing Archibald Cox and Elliot Richardson, that it's going to invoke the responsibility of the Congress to ensure that there is, in fact, a constitutional process which is in place to ensure that this investigation continues," said Markey. "If he does it, there's going to be a political firestorm on a bipartisan basis that will erupt that will, in fact, lead to that constitutional crisis."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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