AND ESPECIALLY -- I'M SORRY.
FORGIVE ME.
WE'RE GOING TO -- WE HAVE JOHN
ROBERTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT
NOW I BELIEVE REACTING TO THE
BREAKING NEWS AND RUNNING OUT TO
A MICROPHONE.
THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT STRIKES ME HERE IS THE
WORDING.
I INFORMED JOHN BOLTON THAT HIS
SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
THAT'S ROUGH.
>> IT IS.
THAT'S NOT SURPRISING THE
PRESIDENT DID THAT.
WHAT IS SURPRISING IS THAT JOHN
BOLTON WAS LISTED IN THE MEDIA
SCHEDULE TODAY AS GIVING A
BRIEFING WITH MIKE POMPEO AND
STEVE MNUCHIN THIS AFTERNOON.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, BECAUSE
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO FOLKS AT
THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT THIS OR
THE ADMINISTRATION ON AN
OFF-THE-RECORD BASIS.
JOHN BOLTON WAS QUICKLY FALLING
TO DISFAVOR AMONGst VERY
SIGNIFICANT PLAYERS AT THE WHITE
HOUSE BECAUSE OF HIS
DISAGREEMENT WITH THE PRESIDENT
OVER HAVING THE TALIBAN AT CAMP
DAVID AND THE OVERALL PEACE PLAN
FOR CAMP DAVID.
SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT BOLTON HAD
WITH THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THIS
SAID HE DID NOT AGREE WITH
BRINGING THE TALIBAN TO CAMP
DAVID.
DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS A GOOD
IDEA.
ALSO WANTED TO SEE U.S. FORCES
DRAWN DOWN TO 8,600 AND
STABILIZED THERE, BUT NOT GO
BEYOND THAT.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT BOLTON HAS
BEEN AT ODDS WITH THE PRESIDENT
ON OCCASION OVER NORTH KOREA.
CERTAINLY BOLTON IS A HAWK ON
IRAN.
HE AND THE PRESIDENT WERE PRETTY
MUCH ALIGNED ON THAT FRONT.
THERE WERE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE
BOLTON HAD RUN AFOUL OF THE
PRESIDENT IN A WAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT EVENTUALLY BECAME
TIRED OF AND DECIDED THAT HIS
SERVICES WERE NO LONGER
REQUIRED.
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN BUILDING
OVER SEVERAL MONTHS BUT IN
RECENT DAYS THAT THIS THING HAS
TAKEN ON A TERRIFIC AMOUNT OF
MOMENTUM.
THE WAY THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE
WHITE HOUSE WHO WERE IN VERY
HIGH POSITIONS KNEW THAT HE WAS
ON HIS WAY OUT SOON.
A LITTLE SURPRISED IT HAPPENED
THIS QUICKLY.
>> QUICK QUESTION, JOHN.
SO THE PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, HE
LIKES HAVING PEOPLE AROUND HIM
THAT DISAGREE AND DISAGREE
VIGOROUSLY.
JOHN BOLTON HAS BEEN VERY
OUTSPOKEN SINCE THE TIME HE WAS
HERE.
HE HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN HIS MIND
VERY FIRMLY.
WHAT CHANGED NOW AND WHEN YOU
SAY THERE'S -- OTHER THAN HIM
BEING AGAINST THE TALIBAN
COMING, HE'S BEEN FOR AND
AGAINST A LOT OF THINGS IN THE
PAST.
YOU SAY THERE'S SIGNIFICANT
PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOW
THAT WERE REALLY UNHAPPY WITH
HIM.
LOOK WHO?
CAN YOU GIVE US A HINT?
>> NO.
THEY'RE ALL OFF-THE-REPORT
CONVERSATIONS.
LET'S JUST SAY AT THE HIGH UP
LEVELS AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
PERHAPS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE
CAMEL'S BACK IS THIS IDEA THAT
BOLTON WAS OPPOSED TO WHAT WAS
GOING ON POTENTIALLY AT CAMP
DAVID WITH THE TALIBAN.
PEOPLE WERE LETTING IT BE KNOWN
THAT HE WAS ADD ODDS WITH THAT.
THE ADMINISTRATION WAS PUTTING
ON THIS FACE OF UNITY
SURROUNDING THIS IDEA OF GOING
TO CAMP DAVID.
WE HEARD FROM SECRETARY POMPEO
AND THE VICE PRESIDENT THAT THEY
WERE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE
PRESIDENT ON DECISIONS THAT HE
WAS MAKING ABOUT THE TALIBAN
EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT POMPEO
WAS DRIVING THIS IDEA OF THE
PEACE PLAN.
THE VICE PRESIDENT, THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER BOLTON AND THE
CIA WERE ALL VERY SKEPTICAL
ABOUT THIS IDEA.
THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
9-11 WHEN THE TALIBAN WAS IN
CONTROL.
I THINK THE FACT THAT PEOPLE
WERE COMING OUT, TO SAY THAT
BOLTON DISAGREED WITH THE
PRESIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE
STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S
BACK THERE.
AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING
BUILDING OVER TIME.
TO SOME DEGREE, THE PRESIDENT
APPRECIATED BOLTON'S CONTRARY
POSITIONS, CERTAINLY APPRECIATED
HIS FORCEFULNESS, HIS
HAWKISHNESS AT A NUMBER OF
ISSUES.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PEG IT TO
ANY ONE THING.
I THINK THE TURNING POINT IS
WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST COUPLE
DAYS WITH CAMP DAVID AND
TALIBAN.
>> JOHN, ARE THERE ANY
CANDIDATES TO SEE WHO MIGHT
REPLACE HIM?
>> THERE'S ALWAYS CANDIDATES.
NONE THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN
TALKED ABOUT OPENLY IN RECENT
MONTHS.
EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, BOLTON
APPEARED TO BE FALLING OUT OF
HIS FAVOR.
WE DIDN'T KNOW HE WOULD BE
REPLACED THIS SOON.
WE'LL DIG AROUND.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT JUST CAME OUT
AND SEE WHO IS TOPPING THE LIST.
CERTAINLY THE PRESIDENT HAS A
NUMBER OF CANDIDATES.
HE DOES FOR EVERY JOB OUT THERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
NO DOUBT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO
UNFOLD FOR THE REST OF THE HOUR
HERE ON "OUTNUMBERED."