Donald Trump unceremoniously fired his National Security Adviser John Bolton over Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. Bolton had reportedly argued with the President about a number of policy issues, including his plan to meet with leaders of the Taliban.
Many on the left celebrated the departure of the hard-line conservative who has a reputation for seeking out military conflict. But there was also celebration from some on the right. Fox News host Tucker Carlson not only ripped Bolton, but also attempted to paint him as someone who leaned to the left.
Carlson began the segment by saying that the military could have been devastated if Bolton remained. He said it was great news, “Especially for the large number of young people who would have been killed in pointless wars if Bolton had stayed on the job. They may not be celebrating tonight but they should be.”
The Fox host them made the strange argument that while progressives were celebrating Bolton’s firing, he was actually on of them. Carlson argued, “There was not a human problem John Bolton wasn’t totally convinced could be solved with the elite force of government. That’s an assumption of the left. Not the right. Don’t let the mustache fool you. John Bolton was one of the most progressive people in the Trump administration.”
Bolton has not taken his firing laying down. He has been messaging with a number of different reporters, saying that he was not fired, he had actually resigned. During Tuesday’s broadcast of Fox & Friends, Bolton texted host Brian Kilmeade that very message while the show was on air.