WEBVTT - Former National Security Advisor John Bolton Talks Trump Rally Security

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>It's the Lacest this morning.

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<v Speaker 3>Former President Donald Trump expected to announce his pick for

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<v Speaker 3>vice president at the rn C this week. Trump set

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<v Speaker 3>to address the convention on Thursday, with his VP pick

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<v Speaker 3>expected to be announced well before then. Joining us now

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<v Speaker 3>after the tragic events at the weekend, I'm pleased to

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<v Speaker 3>say is Ambassador John Bolton, a former national security advisor

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<v Speaker 3>and former Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador John Bolden,

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<v Speaker 3>thank you, sir for being with us once again. It's

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<v Speaker 3>good to catch up with you. So I want to

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<v Speaker 3>lean on your experience. You've been to events with the

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<v Speaker 3>former President Donald Trump. You've seen the degree of security

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<v Speaker 3>this provided. How surprised were you that something like this

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<v Speaker 3>could happen Saturday evening.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, it was obviously very surprising. You know, there's been

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of commentary on what went wrong, what the

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<v Speaker 4>mistakes were made. I think it was right for President

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<v Speaker 4>Biden to say he's going to set up an independent review.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, none.

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<v Speaker 4>Of us are experts just because we watch it on television.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been a protect tee.

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<v Speaker 4>I still am for various reasons, but that doesn't make

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<v Speaker 4>me an expert on peripheral control and things like that,

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<v Speaker 4>So I think we're fortunate that Trump was only wounded.

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<v Speaker 4>It's a tragedy that one of the spectators was killed.

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<v Speaker 4>But we need to do the review of this in

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<v Speaker 4>a calm way. I think do it quickly as well,

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<v Speaker 4>because there are already conspiracy theories about what happened on

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<v Speaker 4>Saturday that I think are loony tunes. But I don't

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<v Speaker 4>think they're going to go away until we have an

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<v Speaker 4>independent objective review.

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<v Speaker 5>Ambassador, we're going to be starting the rn C. It's

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<v Speaker 5>kicking off right after this assassination attempt. What kind of

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<v Speaker 5>message do you think the former president is going to

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<v Speaker 5>bring to the r and C because already in an

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<v Speaker 5>interview with the Washington Examiner, he says he's rewriting his

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<v Speaker 5>entire speech.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, he probably believed that when he said it. Whether

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<v Speaker 4>it turns out to be true is anybody's guests. Certainly,

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<v Speaker 4>the mood of the country, I think is such that

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<v Speaker 4>it would be the right thing to do to try

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<v Speaker 4>and calm partisan tempers down, and that's what he may

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<v Speaker 4>well do. Would also be to his electoral advantage. I

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<v Speaker 4>think he's the image of defiance that he gave when

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<v Speaker 4>he was shot and what he said since then puts

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<v Speaker 4>him in a very good position just to be coldly

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<v Speaker 4>analytical about it, and it would be I think in

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<v Speaker 4>his interest to have a message of conciliation. Now, whether

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<v Speaker 4>he's able to do that or I don't know, but

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<v Speaker 4>if you focus the argument on what's best for Donald Trump,

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<v Speaker 4>I think that is the answer that may be why

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<v Speaker 4>he does.

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<v Speaker 5>You've said in the past you think the highest priority

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<v Speaker 5>for his VP pick is absolute loyalty to him, the man,

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<v Speaker 5>Donald Trump. Do you think following these events and the

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<v Speaker 5>fact that you said, you know, in cold analysis, what's

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<v Speaker 5>best for him is to talk about unity maybe you

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<v Speaker 5>know the party in the country. Would it be to

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<v Speaker 5>pick someone more towards the center.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, Trump doesn't have a philosophy. He doesn't really do policy,

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<v Speaker 4>so for him, there is no left, right or center.

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<v Speaker 4>There's only Donald Trump at the center of the universe.

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<v Speaker 4>I think at this point it is still possible any

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<v Speaker 4>of the names that have been mentioned can be picked.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't think he's settled on a name a week ago.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't think it's changed since Saturday. I think this

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<v Speaker 4>is a constant matter reevaluation for him. Up until the

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<v Speaker 4>last minute. I always used to say that with Trump,

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<v Speaker 4>nothing is final until it's final, and then maybe not

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<v Speaker 4>even there.

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<v Speaker 1>Ambosador one of the historical correlate Larry's. A lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people have used for this as nineteen eighty one, an

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<v Speaker 1>attempted assassination on Ronald Reagan. His daughter wrote an op

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<v Speaker 1>ed in The New York Times over the weekend saying

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<v Speaker 1>that her father had believed that she'd been saved for

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<v Speaker 1>God for a reason, and that was to end the

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<v Speaker 1>Cold War. This feeling of emboldenment of foreign policy. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you think Trump will feel that same sense that he

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<v Speaker 1>now has a mandate for certain policies that he wants

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<v Speaker 1>to push through more forcefully should he end up being

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<v Speaker 1>the president.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I don't think we can say for sure.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, it's obviously a shocking event to be at

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<v Speaker 4>a political rally, to be shot at, to be wounded,

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<v Speaker 4>to be in danger for some period of time, that

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<v Speaker 4>it has to have an effect on anybody. But Trump

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<v Speaker 4>has a remarkable gyroscope that although he has a short

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<v Speaker 4>attention span for many things, he has a fixed attention

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<v Speaker 4>span on himself. And I think that using this attempt

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<v Speaker 4>on his life as a way of proving his martyrdom

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<v Speaker 4>and the victim narrative that he has so successfully used politically,

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<v Speaker 4>I think he will use now. Whether that translates into

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<v Speaker 4>specific action if he's elected, I think is harder to say.

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<v Speaker 4>But will he use it politically to maximize his options

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<v Speaker 4>once elected?

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely that martyrdom, Ambassador Bolton, you're describing something that seems

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<v Speaker 1>like it could fan the flames of division within this country.

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<v Speaker 1>How concerned are you about that that this is a

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<v Speaker 1>start of an era that's been bubbling back in the

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<v Speaker 1>surface for so long that it brings it to a

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<v Speaker 1>boiling point.

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<v Speaker 4>Now, look, we've had boiling points in this country, almost

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<v Speaker 4>called the Civil War.

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<v Speaker 2>We're nowhere close to that rhetoric.

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<v Speaker 4>To the contrary, notwithstanding, I think Trump could cause a

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<v Speaker 4>lot of damage if he's reelected.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been saying that for several years now.

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<v Speaker 4>I do not think he is an existential threat to

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<v Speaker 4>our democracy, and I think it's in fact harmful to

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<v Speaker 4>say that. That's the kind of rhetoric I think we

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<v Speaker 4>could do without. I think Trump focuses on what he

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<v Speaker 4>wants to do, not on grand historical themes, and I

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<v Speaker 4>think his focus at the moment is very much on

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<v Speaker 4>how to use the upcoming convention to maximize the chances

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<v Speaker 4>he'll win in November.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm Bess Saday. You've questioned his fitness for office. You've

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<v Speaker 3>clearly just joined histinction between doing that and questioning whether

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<v Speaker 3>he is an extensional risk to democracy. I want to

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<v Speaker 3>understand his potential to unite this party. You are a Republican,

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<v Speaker 3>You've worked with Donald Trump, you worked with Bush, you

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<v Speaker 3>worked in the rank and presidency as well. What would

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<v Speaker 3>it take on Massada for Donald Trump to get you

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<v Speaker 3>behind him and unite this party? Is that even possible?

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<v Speaker 4>No, because I do think Trump is not fit to

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<v Speaker 4>be president. It's I don't wish ill to anybody, certainly

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<v Speaker 4>not to the innocent spectators who were killed and gravely wounded,

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<v Speaker 4>were to Donald Trump for what he was put through.

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<v Speaker 4>But that episode doesn't change my fundamental view of him.

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<v Speaker 4>Maybe he'll have a damascene conversion.

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<v Speaker 2>That's always possible. To redemption is a reality.

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<v Speaker 4>It can happen, but as of now, I don't see

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<v Speaker 4>that that's going to change anything.

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<v Speaker 2>I do think this event, I mean, I'm just being

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<v Speaker 2>cold blooded here.

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<v Speaker 4>This event will politically benefit Donald Trump, and we may

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<v Speaker 4>look back at the eight the presidential debate and now

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<v Speaker 4>the events of Saturday, and say this was the moment

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<v Speaker 4>when Biden's campaign trajectory went into a nosedive from which

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<v Speaker 4>it never escaped.

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<v Speaker 5>If you don't think he's fit to be president, is

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<v Speaker 5>there a VP pick that would assuage your concerns?

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<v Speaker 4>No, because we might still get four years of Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 4>And I worry and I don't believe. I don't believe

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<v Speaker 4>the facts have changed about the concern that personal loyalty

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<v Speaker 4>to Trump, not loyalty to the country, not loyalty to

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<v Speaker 4>the constitution, loyalty to a man who told Mike Pence

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<v Speaker 4>to violate his oath of office on January the sixth,

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<v Speaker 4>twenty twenty one. That will remain Trump's primary objective. So

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<v Speaker 4>we'll see who it is. But I worry that whoever

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<v Speaker 4>that person turns out to be, they'll have given the

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<v Speaker 4>wrong answer to that question.

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<v Speaker 3>Bassiday, you have a deep understanding of foreign policy and

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<v Speaker 3>international security, a long, long amount of experience on those issues.

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<v Speaker 3>Can we finish on that, Ambassador? How do you think

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<v Speaker 3>the adversaries, the enemies of this country will be viewing

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<v Speaker 3>the developments of the last couple of weeks, not just

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<v Speaker 3>the last weekend, but for the issues the sitting president

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<v Speaker 3>is facing as well. Ambassida, how are you thinking about

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<v Speaker 3>that at the moment?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, divisions within the American body politic are are a

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<v Speaker 4>tonic for foreign adversaries, and I think they're watching this

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<v Speaker 4>whole process very closely.

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<v Speaker 2>They know that the United.

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<v Speaker 4>States has a fixed amount of bandwidth at any given time.

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<v Speaker 4>We've got a war in Ukraine, We've got war in

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<v Speaker 4>the Middle East, We've got a very divisive political season underway,

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<v Speaker 4>and adversaries like Russia, China, Iran, North Korea are undoubtedly

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<v Speaker 4>thinking themselves, are there things we can do right now

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<v Speaker 4>to take advantage of this disarray. They'll follow it through

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<v Speaker 4>the campaign season, and I think that could be a

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<v Speaker 4>very vulnerable time, not necessarily for the United States directly,

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<v Speaker 4>but for friends and allies around the world.

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<v Speaker 3>Is there a part of the world you're more concerned,

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<v Speaker 3>perhaps an area and you're more concerned than others.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think the one area that we don't have

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<v Speaker 4>an actual conflict at the moment is the Indo Pacific

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<v Speaker 4>periphery around China. We've been concerned about Taiwan, the South

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<v Speaker 4>China Sea, China's.

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<v Speaker 2>Land borders with Vietnam India.

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<v Speaker 4>I think if you're looking for a place where a

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<v Speaker 4>conflict could break out before November, it would be along

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<v Speaker 4>that periphery.

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<v Speaker 3>Ambassador, I appreciate your time this morning. Hopefully we can

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<v Speaker 3>do this again soon. Ambassador John Bolton Net on the

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<v Speaker 3>future of this particular presidency, looking back to the lost

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<v Speaker 3>presidency and talking about some of the issues on the horizon.