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BumRushDaShow

(169,030 posts)
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:18 AM 8 hrs ago

John Bolton Says He Briefed Trump On Strait of Hormuz Scenarios That the President Now Claims Ignorance About

Source: MEDIAite

Mar 17th, 2026, 9:18 pm


Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told CNN he briefed President Donald Trump on multiple Iran retaliation scenarios during his first term, despite the president now claiming he’s “shocked” by Iran’s actions.

Bolton, who served under Trump before a public falling out, joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday evening, where he was surprised to hear Trump had “indicated” he wasn’t made aware of the potential of retaliatory strikes Iran has since made against neighboring countries and the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant amount of the world’s oil moves through.

“The president seemed to indicate yesterday that he had not been briefed on the potential that Iran might strike out at its neighbors or try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Is that conceivable to you that he would not have been briefed on those potential those potential, you know repercussions?” Cooper asked Bolton.

Bolton noted he’s long been a supporter of a “regime change campaign” in Iran — though he’s acknowledged “mistakes” Trump’s made with his strikes — and it’s one of the issues that set him at odds with officials in Trump’s first administration. He said he brought up scenarios of striking Iran multiple times and retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere were always brought up.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/john-bolton-says-he-briefed-trump-on-strait-of-hormuz-scenarios-that-the-president-now-claims-ignorance-about/

33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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John Bolton Says He Briefed Trump On Strait of Hormuz Scenarios That the President Now Claims Ignorance About (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 8 hrs ago OP
I, for One, am Flabbergasted Roy Rolling 8 hrs ago #1
Trump didn't care. He thought Iran would cave into his demands. Irish_Dem 7 hrs ago #2
Narrator: Trump was in fact NOT holding all the cards. Multichromatic 6 hrs ago #9
Yes, all the power has gone to his head PatSeg 6 hrs ago #10
US Supreme Court and Congress have equal blame in all of this. Irish_Dem 1 hr ago #31
Everyone in his orbit not only never corrects him, they praise everything he does underpants 3 hrs ago #27
Any school kid would know better. C_U_L8R 7 hrs ago #3
Yea, but that was eight years ago and Trump can't remember what he had for breakfast. Ray Bruns 7 hrs ago #4
Exactly, when Chump can't remember what was said to him 8 minutes ago FakeNoose 7 hrs ago #6
Trump can't remember what Trump said 8 minutes ago. nt SunSeeker 6 hrs ago #15
I use to call it CRS, can't remember shite. multigraincracker 5 hrs ago #18
"Claims Ignorance about" Laf.La.Dem. 7 hrs ago #5
The Strait of Hormuz is not something that requires a "briefing." malthaussen 7 hrs ago #7
Or have paid attention for the last 30+ years. Hope22 5 hrs ago #22
Thank you. I was just about to post LOOK AT A _______ MAP underpants 3 hrs ago #26
C'mon, John. You know Trump only believes people who say what he wants to hear. tanyev 7 hrs ago #8
plus he only pays attention to the last voice he heard. Bolton is way out of date. (n/t) thesquanderer 5 hrs ago #19
Yeah, John Seinan Sensei 5 hrs ago #23
Well, in Trump's defense Orrex 6 hrs ago #11
Bolton, an educated gentleman like himself/s knows the dementia ate trumps brain irisblue 6 hrs ago #12
This does not end well. James48 6 hrs ago #13
TACO can't remember what he said 2 minutes ago, how... frogstar0 6 hrs ago #14
I doubt Trump even remembered the briefing 15 min after Bolton left. Trump's staff probably stopped him. ChicagoTeamster 6 hrs ago #16
Does Bolton mgardener 5 hrs ago #17
Trumps stuck in quagmire. BradBo 5 hrs ago #20
Trump is SENILE. He can't remember what he said 15 minutes ago Bluetus 5 hrs ago #21
There is a lot he knows nothing about iemanja 4 hrs ago #24
Like with a toddler, must be repeated over and over again. republianmushroom 3 hrs ago #25
Wait a minute. It sounds like Trump adopted Bolton's idea Raven123 3 hrs ago #28
This whole thing has been a "Lindsey Graham Production" BumRushDaShow 31 min ago #33
There's not a lot left in Trump's head to stop words from going in one ear and out the other. patphil 3 hrs ago #29
In Trump's defense He was sleeping at the time Playingmantis 2 hrs ago #30
Or you could say in his defense he's ignorant about everything. mdbl 46 min ago #32

Roy Rolling

(7,610 posts)
1. I, for One, am Flabbergasted
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:23 AM
8 hrs ago

War and simply killing the people in a geographic area is not in America’s interests?

Who, other than every non-MAGAt in the world, could’ve predicted war is not a universal answer for weak man-boys to get what they want.

Irish_Dem

(81,021 posts)
2. Trump didn't care. He thought Iran would cave into his demands.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:32 AM
7 hrs ago

Trump thinks he holds all the cards.

PatSeg

(53,188 posts)
10. Yes, all the power has gone to his head
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:54 AM
6 hrs ago

He honestly thinks he can do anything and the rest of the world will cave to his demands.

Irish_Dem

(81,021 posts)
31. US Supreme Court and Congress have equal blame in all of this.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:17 PM
1 hr ago

When you empower and give immunity to a total psychopath,
you will get the crime of the century.

underpants

(196,246 posts)
27. Everyone in his orbit not only never corrects him, they praise everything he does
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:19 PM
3 hrs ago

From his echo chamber of sycophants and parasites to the Tech Broligarchy to an at least complicit if not state run media to the standing ovation he gets at dinner when he’s fleecing us for money (his weekend job).

Ray Bruns

(6,285 posts)
4. Yea, but that was eight years ago and Trump can't remember what he had for breakfast.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:34 AM
7 hrs ago

So, this is really on you Bolton.

FakeNoose

(41,356 posts)
6. Exactly, when Chump can't remember what was said to him 8 minutes ago
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:13 AM
7 hrs ago

John Bolton is just flapping his gums about nothing. Everyone who's ever worked for Chump in ANY capacity, knows he won't listen to anyone or take anyone's advice. For Bolton to mention something he said to Chump in the first term is just ludicrous.

malthaussen

(18,551 posts)
7. The Strait of Hormuz is not something that requires a "briefing."
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:18 AM
7 hrs ago

All you have to do is look at a map.

-- Mal

thesquanderer

(12,986 posts)
19. plus he only pays attention to the last voice he heard. Bolton is way out of date. (n/t)
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:52 AM
5 hrs ago

irisblue

(37,399 posts)
12. Bolton, an educated gentleman like himself/s knows the dementia ate trumps brain
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:16 AM
6 hrs ago

I suspect Bolton is talking to 1-maybe get a job with Vance 2- trying to lay down defense tactics for his upcoming 2027 trial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_John_Bolton


( yes that is a Firefly quote massaged in there)

James48

(5,189 posts)
13. This does not end well.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:16 AM
6 hrs ago

Trump will continue to ratchet the stakes up.
If he lands 5,000 Marines on Kharg Island- then what?
Iran will move them off. There is no neat and easy way that this ends.

He’s destroyed everything.

frogstar0

(252 posts)
14. TACO can't remember what he said 2 minutes ago, how...
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:17 AM
6 hrs ago

can you expect him to remember what his national security advisor say 8 years ago? People are so unfair to little Donny. Expecting him to understand that other people might not see how he has the very best of everything and they need to just do what he saids. How is he supposed to keep all these countries and presidents straight? So unfair.

ChicagoTeamster

(866 posts)
16. I doubt Trump even remembered the briefing 15 min after Bolton left. Trump's staff probably stopped him.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:22 AM
6 hrs ago

They probably had to explain that Bolton told him attacking Iran would be very bad and he would wind up losing reelection. That, he listens to.

BradBo

(1,002 posts)
20. Trumps stuck in quagmire.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:03 AM
5 hrs ago

He gonna get more and more unhinged now. Even more than he already is.

Bluetus

(2,707 posts)
21. Trump is SENILE. He can't remember what he said 15 minutes ago
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:09 AM
5 hrs ago

let alone with Bolton told him 6 years ago.

iemanja

(57,746 posts)
24. There is a lot he knows nothing about
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:37 AM
4 hrs ago

another indication that he isn't fit to be President.

Raven123

(7,770 posts)
28. Wait a minute. It sounds like Trump adopted Bolton's idea
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:19 PM
3 hrs ago

Trump is demented, but he has had help from the neo-cons.

BumRushDaShow

(169,030 posts)
33. This whole thing has been a "Lindsey Graham Production"
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:57 PM
31 min ago

And that has brought neocons like Bolton and even Condaleeza Rice, out of hibernation.

patphil

(9,010 posts)
29. There's not a lot left in Trump's head to stop words from going in one ear and out the other.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:22 PM
3 hrs ago

And briefings are oh so boring.

mdbl

(8,592 posts)
32. Or you could say in his defense he's ignorant about everything.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:42 PM
46 min ago

But that's just giving him an excuse.

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