Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton bemoaned the changing West Wing — and his limited access to President Donald Trump — saying the open-door policy once offered to him is "now over."
In a doleful introduction to his op-ed posted Monday in the National Review, Bolton said he was offering a proposal for an exit to the Iran nuclear deal, because he could not deliver it to Trump himself.
"I offer the Iran nonpaper now as a public service, since staff changes at the White House have made presenting it to President Trump impossible," he wrote. "Although he was once kind enough to tell me 'come in and see me any time,' those days are now over."
Though former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon had asked him to draw up a plan to get the United States out of the Iran deal last July, the plan never made it to Trump's desk after Bannon was ousted.
"If the president is never to see this option, so be it," he wrote. "But let it never be said that the option didn't exist."
Bolton, who was under consideration for both secretary of state and national security adviser during the presidential transition period – and again as national security adviser after Michael Flynn resigned – ultimately turned down a job as deputy national security adviser when Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster took control of the National Security Council in February, Politico reported.
According to Politico, Trump also pushed for Bolton to replace former deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland when she was chosen as U.S. ambassador to Singapore, though McMaster ultimately chose Ricky Waddell for the role.
But he continued to consult with Trump frequently, Politico reported, citing an unnamed source.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.