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Bolton disappointed as Trump strips his security detail despite Iranian threats
Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton revealed he was "not surprised but disappointed" after President Donald Trump terminated his Secret Service protection on Tuesday. The decision comes amid reports that Bolton has been the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot since leaving the Trump administration.
A spokesperson for Bolton confirmed to Reuters that the Secret Service informed him of the removal of his security detail, effective immediately. Trump, addressing reporters, defended the move, stating, “We are not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives.”
Bolton, however, emphasized the ongoing threat to his safety, citing a 2022 incident in which the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against an Iranian official for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to assassinate him. “That threat remains today,” Bolton stated on social media platform X, referencing recent arrests tied to assassination plots.
He also contrasted Trump’s decision with that of President Joe Biden, who extended his security protection in 2021. “Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden’s national security policies, he nonetheless decided to extend that protection to me,” Bolton noted.
Bolton has long been a polarizing figure in U.S. foreign policy, particularly for his stance on Sahara. He is among the few U.S. officials, past and present, who have supported a referendum for self-determination in the region—a key demand of pro-Polisario activists.
A vocal critic of MINURSO, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sahara, Bolton has argued that the mission has failed in its core objective of facilitating a referendum. In his 2008 memoir, *Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations*, he criticized MINURSO for becoming “an obstacle to Morocco and Algeria dealing with each other” and advocated for its termination, asserting that Morocco had no intention of allowing a referendum.
Bolton’s removal of security detail has reignited debates about the adequacy of protection for former officials facing credible threats. His case underscores the complexities of balancing security concerns with political decisions, leaving the public to judge the merits of such actions.