In the middle of Fox News’ Outnumbered show, the just-departed John Bolton texted cohost Brian Kilmeade to suggest Donald Trump had lied about firing him: “Let’s be clear, I resigned.” It signals Bolton will not go gentle into a Trump goodnight.
Trump tweeted he had fired Bolton just before Fox’s Outnumbered show went on the air at noon:
....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2019
Soon after, Bolton contradicted Trump by tweeting that he had resigned:
I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 10, 2019
Yesterday, I wondered whether Bolton might get his Fox News gig back. I think it’s pretty clear now that he won’t.
Trump-adoring cohost Harris Faulkner interrupted her reading of Trump’s tweet to gratuitously note that the list of his disagreements with Bolton is “strong and long.” Before she read Bolton’s tweet, guest (and Fox & Friends cohost) Brian Kilmeade announced, “John Bolton just texted me, just now. He’s watching.”
Kilmeade said he had permission to reveal the text: “Let’s be clear, I resigned,” it said.
Faulkner, with obvious annoyance, asked, “Why are they doing it? Why are we seeing this play one against the other, almost, in terms of, you know, what the narrative is?” In other words, she was peeved that Bolton was speaking out. “Is it important or is it just that the president has moved on and he’s gonna hire a new national security adviser?” she added. “I mean, that’s the news, right?”
Kilmeade indicated he could understand why Bolton feels “it matters the way I end it.”
The clip below ends on that comment. But immediately following it, at about 17:30 in the full episode, Faulkner immediately changed the subject to crow that apprehensions on the southern border have fallen and “many giving credit” to Trump’s “policy on the national security challenges” there.
So, at least at this point, there are two things we can conclude from this: 1) Bolton is likely to turn publicly against Trump and 2) The Trump faithful will stand behind Glorious Leader.
Last night, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell speculated that book publishers were probably staying late “trying to calculate how many millions of dollars they can offer John Bolton” if he delivers a tell-all book that will be published in the final months of the presidential campaign. “Such a book would have maximum sales potential,” O’Donnell added.
Whether Bolton is willing to go that far remains to be seen. And it’s not as though Bolton is a likeable guy. However, unlike so many in the Trump administration, Bolton was arguably qualified for the job of national security adviser and he served 17 months at a very high level as a Trump insider. He also has impeccable conservative bona fides, despite Tucker Carlson’s ludicrously dishonest claim otherwise. Bolton’s resumé includes an 11-year stint at Fox News.
The one thing that’s certain is that people will listen to whatever Bolton has to say. Criticism from the right could prove very awkward for Fox News to ignore, attack or downplay.
Get ready to pop the popcorn as you watch the first hint of Bolton trouble for Fox below, from the September 10, 2019 Outnumbered, and get ready to pop the popcorn
The li’brul media tracking Trump’s thousands of lies may convince the sane in America Trump’s a lying narcissistic scumbag but to those stuck in the Fox News alternate reality bubble it’s all “fake news”.
Bolton isn’t just a reliable conservative voice accusing Trump of lying. He’s validated by his many years of loyal service as not just being a reliable Fox News right-wing talking head but the Fox go-to guy on their rabid, hawkish world view. That’s why we have Tucker pretending Bolton is suddenly a liberal progressive to presto-chango him into an outcast from Fox News and Faulkner and Kilmead are in a minor squabble over him.
This is the 2nd major lie scandal Trump’s been caught up in – recall Dorian hitting Alabama – and it could be a repeat embarrassing performance if Trump’s clinical narcissism again is unable to let it go.
Don’t underestimate the power of what should be small incidents pointing out Trump’s mental illness – to those inside the Fox News bubble. The rest of us already see it.