Administration

Bolton: Trump didn’t make ‘compelling case’ on Iran nuclear, terror threat

by Ashleigh Fields - 03/17/26 2:21 PM ET

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Former National Security adviser John Bolton on Monday said President Trump failed to make a “compelling case” to the American people about the threat Iran’s nuclear program and terrorist network pose to the United States.

“Trump made some critical mistakes that are becoming – the effects of which are becoming more apparent. Before the war, he didn’t prepare the American people,” Bolton said during a Monday appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”

“And I don’t mean by telling them what the operation would be or how long it would be, but by making what I think is a very compelling case that the Iranian nuclear threat and the Iranian terrorism threat affect us directly, affect our friends and allies, like Israel, like the Gulf Arabs, like Europe in particular, and that, after 25 or 30 years of negotiation, we were coming to the view that the only way this was going to be solved would be by eliminating the regime,” Bolton added in his comments to anchor Blake Burman.

Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk, has criticized Trump’s war on Iran for a lack of planning, arguing the administration did not lay the groundwork for a new government to replace the hardline Islamic regime.

Before and after launching strikes with Israel in late February, Trump has argued that Iran was close to building a nuclear bomb, posing an imminent threat to the U.S. and its allies in the region, though he’s offered little evidence to support the claims.

The argument also cuts against Trump’s claims that the U.S. “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program with strikes this summer that hit three Iranian nuclear facilities.

“We wiped it out and they want to start it all over again and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” the president said during his State of the Union address on Feb. 24.

“My preference, my preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” he continued. “But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”

However, Bolton said those comments alone weren’t enough to get the public on board with a risky war in the Middle East.

“Now, there are a lot of different ways to do it. You don’t do it in 24 or 48 hours. Trump did almost nothing. We learned the war was beginning in remarks, he made at 2:30 on Saturday morning on the first day,” Bolton said of Trump’s announcement regarding strikes on Iran.

“That was a mistake. A corollary mistake was he didn’t prepare Congress for it either. And as you’ve already said, he certainly didn’t prepare the allies. Those failures in advance are coming home to roost now,” he added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that he contacted all but one member of the “Gang of Eight” in Congress to inform them of the pending strikes on Iran, but the administration did not seek congressional approval for the operation.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) echoed Trump during an appearance Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“I would say the biggest mistake is just not preparing the American people for it,” Kinzinger said, adding Trump was “panicking” due to financial markets trending down and a majority of Americans disapproving of the war and has subsequently declared victory prematurely.

“I just think he needs to level with people and say what the truth is,” added Kinzinger. “‘Hey, we may be done tomorrow. This may go on for a few more weeks. The Strait of Hormuz is going to matter.’”

NATO member nations have refused to help the Trump administration secure the Strait of Hormuz, despite the president’s appeal for assistance over the weekend.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. didn’t want help from allies after all.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump wrote. “In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

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