Former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney let loose on former National Security Adviser John Bolton, claiming that Bolton “hates the president” and adding, “I don’t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant, or just an idiot.”
Mulvaney discussed Bolton’s recent comments during an interview with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, and he held nothing back when it came to Bolton’s opinion of President Donald Trump.
WATCH:
????NEW: Former Trump Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney:
“I know [John] Bolton. Bolton would say anything to make President Trump look bad.”
“I don’t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant or just an idiot.”
“But he really, really hates the president. Trump Derangement… pic.twitter.com/oKwJ6RQOxA
— Jason Cohen ???????? (@JasonJournoDC) August 12, 2025
“I know [John] Bolton,” Mulvaney said. “Bolton would say anything to make President Trump look bad. I don’t know what that makes him — I don’t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant, or just an idiot — I’m not really sure.”
“But he really, really hates the president. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real thing,” he added, and O’Reilly voiced his agreement. “And John Bolton has got it as bad as anybody.”
Bolton most recently criticized Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at bringing about peace between Russia and Ukraine after three years of war and bloodshed.
The danger with Trump’s present position on Ukraine is that he has not committed continued military assistance, weapons, ammunition, and, most critically, intelligence. pic.twitter.com/bTWvyPZiug
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) August 11, 2025
Trump fired back on Wednesday morning, trashing media outlets for giving Bolton a platform.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 13, 2025
“Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin,” Trump posted via Truth Social. “Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people like John Bolton, who just said that, even though the meeting is on American soil, ‘Putin has already won.’ What’s that all about? We are winning on EVERYTHING. The Fake News is working overtime (No tax on overtime!). If I got Moscow and Leningrad free, as part of the deal with Russia, the Fake News would say that I made a bad deal! But now they’ve been caught. Look at all of the real news that’s coming out about their CORRUPTION. They are sick and dishonest people, who probably hate our Country. But it doesn’t matter because we are winning on everything!!! MAGA.”