"John, is Ireland one of those countries you want to invade?"

Trump’s Bolton Doctrine: Trump has a strongly held theory of Bolton’s value, according to senior administration officials and advisers to the president, including people who have privately recommended to Trump that he fire Bolton. Seven sources who have discussed Bolton with Trump told me the president says having Bolton on his team improves his bargaining position and gives him a psychological advantage over foes like Iran and North Korea.

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“Trump thinks that Bolton is a key part of his negotiating strategy,” said the same person who described Trump as “touchy” about Bolton. “He thinks that Bolton’s bellicosity and eagerness to kill people is a bargaining chip when he’s sitting down with foreign leaders. Bolton can be the bad cop and Trump can be the good cop. Trump believes this to his core.”

A former senior administration official who remains close to Trump said Bolton’s presence on the team “makes other people know that there is going to be that type of voice in the room.”

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