I think he's stunned by it. I think that's why he's been silent really for so long. He's lived in his own dream world and been successful at it these last four years, the coronavirus was one tragic reality that he couldn't deal with. His own election loss is, in his mind, another tragic reality now. So I think he's now trying to calibrate, if in fact I've lost, how do I maximize my brand in the days after the coming inauguration of Joe Biden ? And I think that's what's at stake now.

John Bolton

If I were doing the Security Council today, I'd have one permanent member, the United States, because that's the real reflection of the distribution of power in the world. All international laws are invalid, meaningless attempts to constrict American power.

John Bolton

distribution-of-power real reflection

There's no such thing as the United Nations. If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

John Bolton

differences new-york stories

The only thing that will stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons is regime change in Tehran.

John Bolton

nuclear iran weapons

I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes.

John Bolton

criminals war thinking

Iran has essentially mastered all of the complex science and technology that they need to have a completely indigenous nuclear weapons program. That means that our options on Iran are extremely limited, to regime change or as a last resort, the use of force.

John Bolton

iran technology mean

The only way to resolve the North Korean problem is to change the regime.

John Bolton

korean problem way

Our biggest national security crisis is Barack Obama.

John Bolton

barack national-security crisis

It was right to overthrow Saddam Hussein. It was the regime itself that was a threat. I think in hindsight, what I would have done is turn authority back over to Iraqis much more quickly and say: "Your country, you figure out how to run it."

John Bolton

running country thinking

America needs an adult in the White House who knows how to deal with China.

John Bolton

white house america

The real issue of dealing with proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear, chemical or biological is: What is your tolerance for risk? And my tolerance for risk for WMD proliferation is pretty close to zero. Because otherwise, we and our allies are at the mercy of regimes like Ahmadinejad and the mullahs in Tehran, or Kim Jong Il and the Hitler-in-the-bunker mentality in Pyongyang, or others who don't share our calculus on the value of human life.

John Bolton

issues zero real

My philosophy is not a bean-counting, accounting 'look at this.' It is a philosophy that smaller government is better government, and government that is closer to the people is best of all.

John Bolton

government philosophy people

I wouldn't give up on Russia. I think they have legitimate security concerns from Islamic fundamentalism, not only on their border but in their country.

John Bolton

islamic giving-up country

Let me ask, who died and made him king? Who gave him the authority to endanger 300 million Americans? That's not the way it works, and if he thinks he can get away with that, he's got another think coming.

John Bolton

nsa kings thinking

I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes. And the way the Statute of Rome is written, responsibility for war crimes can be taken all the way up the chain of command. This is the sort of investigation that some people who live in Fairyland might like to undertake, but which bears no relationship at all to conditions in the real world.

John Bolton

taken real war

Diplomacy is not an end in itself if it does not advance U.S. interests.

John Bolton

diplomacy ends doe

Negotiation is not a policy. It's a technique. It's something you use when it's to your advantage, and something that you don't use when it's not to your advantage.

John Bolton

negotiation technique use

I think some of this fascination with the 'Arab Spring' is just a grand experiment with Israel's survival.

John Bolton

israel spring thinking

I'm obviously aware that people are quite focused on the economy rather than foreign policy issues, but that is something that should and can be altered as people see the nature of the threats around the world that we face.

John Bolton

issues people world

People say you favor assassination, what do you think war is? Except that it's assassination on a much larger scale, a much more horrific scale.

John Bolton

war people thinking

There is no patriotic obligation to help advance the career of a politician who is otherwise pursuing interests that are fundamentally antithetical to your values. That's not the call of patriotism.

John Bolton

patriotism patriotic careers