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BumRushDaShow

(170,351 posts)
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:18 AM Mar 18

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/

43 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 Mar 18 OP
I, for One, am Flabbergasted Roy Rolling Mar 18 #1
Trump didn't care. He thought Iran would cave into his demands. Irish_Dem Mar 18 #2
Narrator: Trump was in fact NOT holding all the cards. Multichromatic Mar 18 #9
Lost his cards along with his marbles Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 18 #42
Yes, all the power has gone to his head PatSeg Mar 18 #10
US Supreme Court and Congress have equal blame in all of this. Irish_Dem Mar 18 #31
True PatSeg Mar 18 #35
An orange Elvis....with psychophants BattleRow Mar 18 #39
Everyone in his orbit not only never corrects him, they praise everything he does underpants Mar 18 #27
Yes our country is being run in a closed feedback loop. Irish_Dem Mar 18 #37
Seriously......... MyOwnPeace Mar 18 #41
Any school kid would know better. C_U_L8R Mar 18 #3
Yea, but that was eight years ago and Trump can't remember what he had for breakfast. Ray Bruns Mar 18 #4
Exactly, when Chump can't remember what was said to him 8 minutes ago FakeNoose Mar 18 #6
Trump can't remember what Trump said 8 minutes ago. nt SunSeeker Mar 18 #15
I use to call it CRS, can't remember shite. multigraincracker Mar 18 #18
"Claims Ignorance about" Laf.La.Dem. Mar 18 #5
The Strait of Hormuz is not something that requires a "briefing." malthaussen Mar 18 #7
Or have paid attention for the last 30+ years. Hope22 Mar 18 #22
Thank you. I was just about to post LOOK AT A _______ MAP underpants Mar 18 #26
C'mon, John. You know Trump only believes people who say what he wants to hear. tanyev Mar 18 #8
plus he only pays attention to the last voice he heard. Bolton is way out of date. (n/t) thesquanderer Mar 18 #19
Yeah, John Seinan Sensei Mar 18 #23
Well, in Trump's defense Orrex Mar 18 #11
Bolton, an educated gentleman like himself/s knows the dementia ate trumps brain irisblue Mar 18 #12
This does not end well. James48 Mar 18 #13
TACO can't remember what he said 2 minutes ago, how... frogstar0 Mar 18 #14
I doubt Trump even remembered the briefing 15 min after Bolton left. Trump's staff probably stopped him. ChicagoTeamster Mar 18 #16
Does Bolton mgardener Mar 18 #17
Trumps stuck in quagmire. BradBo Mar 18 #20
Trump is SENILE. He can't remember what he said 15 minutes ago Bluetus Mar 18 #21
There is a lot he knows nothing about iemanja Mar 18 #24
Like with a toddler, must be repeated over and over again. republianmushroom Mar 18 #25
Wait a minute. It sounds like Trump adopted Bolton's idea Raven123 Mar 18 #28
This whole thing has been a "Lindsey Graham Production" BumRushDaShow Mar 18 #33
Someone check to see if Dick Cheney is really dead! Raven123 Mar 18 #34
Last I heard BumRushDaShow Mar 18 #36
There's not a lot left in Trump's head to stop words from going in one ear and out the other. patphil Mar 18 #29
In Trump's defense He was sleeping at the time Playingmantis Mar 18 #30
Or you could say in his defense he's ignorant about everything. mdbl Mar 18 #32
What Probably Happened DallasNE Mar 18 #38
The other being blamed BumRushDaShow Mar 18 #40
Pound sand and kick rocks MorbidButterflyTat Mar 18 #43

Roy Rolling

(7,647 posts)
1. I, for One, am Flabbergasted
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:23 AM
Mar 18

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

(81,656 posts)
2. Trump didn't care. He thought Iran would cave into his demands.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:32 AM
Mar 18

Trump thinks he holds all the cards.

PatSeg

(53,223 posts)
10. Yes, all the power has gone to his head
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:54 AM
Mar 18

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

Irish_Dem

(81,656 posts)
31. US Supreme Court and Congress have equal blame in all of this.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:17 PM
Mar 18

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

PatSeg

(53,223 posts)
35. True
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:36 PM
Mar 18

How could so many go along with this madness without any pushback? They can't all be victims of blackmail or bribery

BattleRow

(2,521 posts)
39. An orange Elvis....with psychophants
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:19 PM
Mar 18

catering to every delusion and desire.
We know what throne the King died on.....
At least Elvis had talent.

(And I spelled sycophants as psychophants on purpose ).

underpants

(196,735 posts)
27. Everyone in his orbit not only never corrects him, they praise everything he does
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:19 PM
Mar 18

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).

Irish_Dem

(81,656 posts)
37. Yes our country is being run in a closed feedback loop.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:53 PM
Mar 18

No outside opinion is wanted or needed.

Trump goes where the money is.
Period. He doesn't need help with that.

MyOwnPeace

(17,580 posts)
41. Seriously.........
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:26 PM
Mar 18

Who can ever watch those videos of a ‘cabinet meeting’ where they line up to drop down and give appropriate ‘honors’ ( yeah, application of lips on the giant orange ‘Lord’) - makes you want to BARF!

Ray Bruns

(6,456 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
Mar 18

So, this is really on you Bolton.

FakeNoose

(41,844 posts)
6. Exactly, when Chump can't remember what was said to him 8 minutes ago
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:13 AM
Mar 18

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

(18,584 posts)
7. The Strait of Hormuz is not something that requires a "briefing."
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 08:18 AM
Mar 18

All you have to do is look at a map.

-- Mal

irisblue

(37,601 posts)
12. Bolton, an educated gentleman like himself/s knows the dementia ate trumps brain
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:16 AM
Mar 18

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

(5,235 posts)
13. This does not end well.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 09:16 AM
Mar 18

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

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

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

(1,031 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
Mar 18

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

(1,027 posts)
20. Trumps stuck in quagmire.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:03 AM
Mar 18

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

Bluetus

(2,914 posts)
21. Trump is SENILE. He can't remember what he said 15 minutes ago
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:09 AM
Mar 18

let alone with Bolton told him 6 years ago.

Raven123

(7,847 posts)
28. Wait a minute. It sounds like Trump adopted Bolton's idea
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:19 PM
Mar 18

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

BumRushDaShow

(170,351 posts)
33. This whole thing has been a "Lindsey Graham Production"
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:57 PM
Mar 18

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

patphil

(9,111 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
Mar 18

And briefings are oh so boring.

mdbl

(8,707 posts)
32. Or you could say in his defense he's ignorant about everything.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:42 PM
Mar 18

But that's just giving him an excuse.

DallasNE

(8,014 posts)
38. What Probably Happened
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 07:15 PM
Mar 18

Bolton didn't dumb it down enough for Trump to understand the retaliation measures he was laying out. Trump never shows the gravitas that situations like this call for. I remember Kissinger talking about the Gulf of Hormuz some 50 years or so ago. Something I have alway wondered is whether anybody ever studied the feasibility of blasting a canal through that tip, taking that hazardous tip out of play. The current National Security Advisor has been thrown under the bus by Trump, so why hasn't he resigned? He is being blamed for thes mess.

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