Donald Trump again president in 2024? Not if it depends on John Bolton. Trump’s former national security adviser does not believe in it. “It is felt in the party that there is a need for a fresh new face,” he says in an interview with The Guardian.
Opinions about Donald Trump and the Republican party are hugely divided. You have those who believe that Trump is still the party’s leader and can lead it to great success and those who believe that it is the former president who caused a disappointing result in the midterms and the party was more likely to be dragged deeper.
In the latter category is John Bolton, briefly National Security Adviser when Trump was president and one of his greatest critics since then. “There are many reasons to oppose Trump’s candidacy,” he told The Guardian. “But the reason I hear most when I talk to people and call around is that a lot of people have Trump turned off in their heads. That he no longer matters.”
Bolton believes that even people who love his style, opinions and approach no longer support him because they don’t want to lose. “The fear is not only that he will lose the election, but also that he will drag a lot of Republican candidates down with him.”
Bolton did his research within the Republican party, he says. “And it is noticeable that his following is gradually getting smaller. One of the questions we asked is whether they want Trump or a new face. More than half answered the latter. Their number will only increase. Because one of Trump’s biggest problems is his tune becoming trite.”