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Bolton's 2-sentence resignation letter was shorter than Trump's tweets firing him

John Haltiwanger   

Bolton's 2-sentence resignation letter was shorter than Trump's tweets firing him
PoliticsPolitics2 min read

FILE PHOTO: U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton attends a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump visits South Korea

  • John Bolton's two-sentence resignation letter was shorter than tweets President Donald Trump sent out about his dismissal. 
  • Trump on Tuesday morning said he'd let Bolton go as national security adviser and that he'd "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration."
  • Bolton's terse resignation letter is emblematic of the fact he was at odds with Trump. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

John Bolton's resignation letter to President Donald Trump was just two sentences long - shorter than the tweets the president sent out on Tuesday morning announcing he'd dismissed him as national security adviser. 

"Dear Mr, President: I hereby resign, effective immediately, as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Thank you for having afforded me this opportunity to serve our country," Bolton said in the letter.

Comparatively, Trump in his tweets said: "I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week."

When other top officials have left the Trump administration, they've often written lengthy letters that showered praise on the president. Bolton, whose ousting was abrupt and not on the most diplomatic of terms, apparently did not feel inclined to do this. 

Since Trump tweeted, Bolton has publicly disputed the president's assertion about the circumstances of his dismissal.

Bolton has rejected the notion that he was fired. "I offered to resign last night. He never asked for it, directly or indirectly. I slept on it, and resigned this morning," Bolton told NBC's Peter Alexander.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Insider, "The President asked that Bolton's resignation be given to him this morning. It was."

Read more: Pompeo just defeated Bolton in the war to be Trump's top adviser on foreign policy

Bolton's resignation letter to Trump is dated September 10. 

Charlie Kupperman, the deputy national security adviser, will serve as the acting national security adviser until Bolton's replacement is announced. 

Bolton's departure comes after he reportedly butted heads with Trump and other advisers on an array of foreign policy topics, including peace negotiations with the Taliban. 

He was the president's third national security adviser and one of many departures from the Trump administration thus far. 

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