Speaker 1: Also in our politics lead, President Trump has taken one of his first steps in seeking revenge against those he considers political opponents. Today, President Trump terminated the Secret Service detail for his own former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who is facing death threats from Iran. And, in fact, there was an arrest of someone plotting against him a couple years ago. Last night, Trump also signed an executive order revoking Ambassador Bolton's security clearance, along with the clearances of 51 other former intelligence officials, including former CIA directors, secretaries of defense, directors of national intelligence, and so on. All of them signed a 2020 letter saying that e-mails from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden carried, quote, all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation, unquote, even though that laptop did ultimately prove legitimate. Joining us now is former National Security Advisor during Trump's first term, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Mr. Ambassador, what's your reaction to Trump revoking your security detail, ending your Secret Service detail?

Speaker 2: Well, I've had better days, that's for sure. This is, I think, typical of Trump the man. This is the kind of character, or lack thereof, who's now president. You know, when President Biden, recognizing the threat against me and several other current and former U.S. government officials, authorized the Secret Service to restore protection, which I had had when I was National Security Advisor, I'm sure he probably wasn't the happiest man in the world because of the criticisms that I've made of him on his foreign policy. But he did it because it's simply not permissible to allow a rogue state like the terrorist in Iran to threaten Americans, whether they're in government or not, simply for expressing opinions or, in the case of the government, employees doing their job. Trump has decided to reverse it. It's obviously within his power to do it. But I think this is a matter that people should take seriously, and let us contemplate who made the right decision here, President Biden or President Trump.

Speaker 1: Well, let me ask you what ultimately you think it means, because your life is at risk. There has actually been an arrest made of an Iranian national who was seeking – who was part of a plot against you. Is he ultimately saying, I hope you die? I mean, how do you interpret this?

Speaker 2: Well, I think it's certainly a downer for expressing your opposition to Donald Trump, as I say. Now, I'm not going to make sure measures are in place to provide protection, but I think the signal is clear. I don't know what's happening to the others who also have protection. I'm the only one, I think, at the moment who had Secret Service protection because I worked in the White House. Others worked at the State Department, the Defense Department, elsewhere, have protection from those departments. But it's – this should not be a partisan matter. It should not be a matter of differing opinions on policy or personalities. This to me is an act of war against the United States by the government of Iran in threatening current and former American officials for doing their jobs.

Speaker 1: When it comes to your security clearance, Trump's executive order said this about your book, The Room Where It Happened. It says, quote, the memoir's reckless treatment of sensitive information undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid advice on matters of national security from their staff. Publication also created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed, unquote. What's your response to that?

Speaker 2: Well, to remind everybody that the book went through a four-month-long pre-publication review to make sure there was no classified information in the book. It's been explained in court documents and I think fully justifies the decision to go ahead and publish. And I've not heard a single statement in the nearly five years now since the book was published of any classified information in the book. Donald Trump didn't like the book because it was critical of him, and it came out in June of 2020. That is an assault on free speech, pure and simple. As to the security clearance, I frankly don't think I have a security clearance anymore, so it will make no practical difference whatever.

Speaker 1: I do want to ask you about something that Donald Trump just said. He was asked about his sweeping pardons of the January 6th criminals. He's pardoned 1,500 people, including those who violently attacked police. Now, specifically, he was asked about how he commuted the sentences of the proud boys who were convicted or charged with seditious conspiracy. Here's what President Trump said just moments ago. Take a listen.

Speaker 3: Given a pardon, I thought their sentences were ridiculous and excessive. One of the guys took down a flag that was an anti-American flag, and he was given years in jail. I don't know the exact number, but he was given many years in jail. I thought it was very excessive, and at least the cases that we looked at, these were people that actually love our country, so we thought a pardon would be appropriate, yeah.

Speaker 2: What's your reaction to that? Well, I wouldn't have pardoned any of them. It's just ridiculous to say that these people didn't realize that they shouldn't have been in the Capitol on January the 6th, that they had no purpose there, they had no excuse to be there, and maybe some of them just walk through and wonder at never having been in the Capitol before, but they should have known better. They're adults. Friends who actually committed the violence, frankly, I'd put them in jail for as long as the sentencing guidelines permit, and I absolutely would not have pardoned them. This is a signal that if you're supporting Donald Trump, commutations and pardons await you, and if you don't support Donald Trump, something else awaits you.

Speaker 1: Absolutely a strong signal from the White House. Former Ambassador John Bolton, thanks so much. Really appreciate your time. Stay safe. Thank you.