POLITICS Bloomberg Businessweek September 16, 2019In the past week, Donald Trump has used Twitter
to simultaneously reveal and cancel a secret
peace summit at Camp David with the leaders of
Afghanistan and the Taliban, then fire the person
who persuaded him to call things off, national secu-
rity adviser John Bolton.
The moves were characteristic of the U.S. pres-
ident. But they also represent a low point in the
administration’s already dismal foreign policy
record. Trump took office vowing to bring his deal-
making savvy to U.S. diplomacy, yet his grand ges-
tures and personal negotiation have fallen short in
North Korea, China, and the Mideast. Indeed, less
than a week before the administration shake-up,
the president’s Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt,
announced his intent to quit before an Israeli-
Palestinian peace plan could be unveiled, and North
Korea envoy Stephen Biegun said negotiations with
Pyongyang have been stalled for months.
“So far, his foreign policy bluster has pro-
duced little,” says James Dorsey, senior fellow at
Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International
Studies, of Trump’s record. “North Korea is not
backing off nuclear weapons, Iran is proving resil-
ient and defiant, and the ‘deal of the century’ ”—that
is, the vaunted peace plan—“looks more like a still-
born baby.” The White House rejects the assessment,
saying major foreign policy achievements take more
than just months to pull together.
In expelling Bolton, Trump succeeded at
least in resolving a conflict within his adminis-
tration. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whosedisagreements with Bolton had begun spilling out
into the open, is now Trump’s closest foreign policy
adviser. For the time being, Bolton’s replacement is
Charlie Kupperman, a longtime Bolton confidant.
But three Bolton aides have already resigned. Some
in Washington see Biegun, a Pompeo ally, as a poten-
tial successor, alongside a handful of retired military
figures and others in the intelligence community.
Bolton’s allies regarded him as a brake on the
president’s worst instincts; one pointed out to
reporters that Trump hadn’t made any “bad deals”
with U.S. foes on his watch. Others considered
Bolton a dangerous influence. Hours after the firing,
Senator Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican, said
the chances of war have gone down “exponentially”
with him out of the White House. “The world will be
a much better place with a new adviser,” he added.
Bolton came to the administration best known for
his support of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq under
George W. Bush. Weeks before joining the current
White House, he wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed
arguing for a preemptive strike against North Korea,
only for Trump to pursue diplomacy with Kim Jong
Un, a tactic Pompeo promoted. In an interview soon
after on Fox News, Bolton said his personal views
were “now behind me” and “the important thing is
what the president says and what advice I give him.”
Trump followed Bolton’s advice in other areas,
including ratcheting up sanctions against Iran and
supporting the ouster of Venezuelan President
Nicolás Maduro, a so far unsuccessful endeavor.
After the abortive Taliban summit, Pompeo33TOM BRENNER/BLOOMBERGThe Trump Administration’s
Plan
○ In firing John Bolton as national security
adviser, the president handed Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo a victory○ Staffers whose
departures were
announced
unceremoniously by
Trump on Twitter① Chief of staff Reince
Priebus
July 28, 2017
② Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson
March 13, 2018
③ National security
adviser H.R. McMaster
March 22, 2018
④ White House counsel
Don McGahn
Aug. 29, 2018
⑤ Secretary of
Homeland Security
Kirstjen Nielsen
April 8, 2019
⑥ Acting Secretary
of Defense Patrick
Shanahan
June 18, 2019
⑦ National security
adviser John BoltonSept. 10, 2019wrong because it conflates independence with
sovereignty.” In his perspective, the power-sharing
required by European institutions is the best way to
make sure that people’s sovereignty is more than a
hollow slogan. He said in his Bologna speech, “True
sovereignty is reflected not in the power of mak-
ing laws—as a legal definition would have it—but in
the ability to control outcomes and respond to the
fundamental needs of the people: what John Locke
defines as their ‘peace, safety, and public good.’
The ability to make independent decisions does not
guarantee countries such control. In other words,
independence does not guarantee sovereignty.”
So what will happen after Oct. 31, when Draghisteps down from his commanding role as the
most powerful Italian in the world and returns to
his native land? No one appears to believe that
Draghi’s public life is over. Even Berlusconi, who
often clashed with Draghi, seems to expect him to
be a player in Italian affairs. In an interview before
the May 2019 European Parliament elections, he
said Draghi “would be the right man for a high-
profile role” in the country. If so, he will no lon-
ger be able to avoid the hard questions—and the
difficult answers.
—An excerpt adapted from Mario Draghi, L’artefice
by Jana Randow and Alessandro Speciale, to be pub-
lished in Italian on Oct. 8 by Rizzoli. POLITICS Bloomberg Businessweek September 16, 2019Inthepastweek,DonaldTrumphasusedTwitter
to simultaneously revealandcancel a secret
peacesummitatCampDavidwiththeleadersof
AfghanistanandtheTaliban,thenfiretheperson
whopersuadedhimtocallthingsoff,nationalsecu-
rityadviserJohnBolton.
ThemoveswerecharacteristicoftheU.S.pres-
ident.Buttheyalsorepresenta lowpointinthe
administration’salreadydismal foreignpolicy
record.Trumptookofficevowingtobringhisdeal-
makingsavvytoU.S.diplomacy,yethisgrandges-
turesandpersonalnegotiationhavefallenshortin
NorthKorea,China,andtheMideast.Indeed,less
thana weekbeforetheadministrationshake-up,
thepresident’sMiddleEastenvoy,JasonGreenblatt,
announcedhisintenttoquitbeforean Israeli-
Palestinianpeaceplancouldbeunveiled,andNorth
KoreaenvoyStephenBiegunsaidnegotiationswith
Pyongyanghavebeenstalledformonths.
“So far,his foreign policyblusterhas pro-
ducedlittle,”saysJamesDorsey,seniorfellowat
Singapore’sS.RajaratnamSchoolofInternational
Studies,ofTrump’srecord.“NorthKoreaisnot
backingoffnuclearweapons,Iranis provingresil-
ientanddefiant,andthe‘dealofthecentury’”—that
is,thevauntedpeaceplan—“looksmorelikea still-
bornbaby.”TheWhiteHouserejectstheassessment,
sayingmajorforeignpolicyachievementstakemore
thanjustmonthstopulltogether.
In expelling Bolton, Trump succeeded at
leastinresolvinga conflictwithinhisadminis-
tration.SecretaryofStateMikePompeo,whosedisagreementswithBoltonhadbegunspillingout
intotheopen,is nowTrump’sclosestforeignpolicy
adviser.Forthetimebeing,Bolton’sreplacementis
CharlieKupperman,a longtimeBoltonconfidant.
ButthreeBoltonaideshavealreadyresigned.Some
inWashingtonseeBiegun,a Pompeoally,asa poten-
tialsuccessor,alongsidea handfulofretiredmilitary
figuresandothersintheintelligencecommunity.
Bolton’salliesregardedhimasa brakeonthe
president’sworstinstincts;onepointedoutto
reportersthatTrumphadn’tmadeany“baddeals”
withU.S.foesonhiswatch.Othersconsidered
Boltona dangerousinfluence.Hoursafterthefiring,
SenatorRandPaul,theKentuckyRepublican,said
thechancesofwarhavegonedown“exponentially”
withhimoutoftheWhiteHouse.“Theworldwillbe
a muchbetterplacewitha newadviser,”headded.
Boltoncametotheadministrationbestknownfor
hissupportofthe 2003 U.S.invasionofIraqunder
GeorgeW.Bush.Weeksbeforejoiningthecurrent
WhiteHouse,hewroteaWallStreetJournalop-ed
arguingfora preemptivestrikeagainstNorthKorea,
onlyforTrumptopursuediplomacywithKimJong
Un,a tacticPompeopromoted.Inaninterviewsoon
afteronFoxNews,Boltonsaidhispersonalviews
were“nowbehindme”and“theimportantthingis
whatthepresidentsaysandwhatadviceI givehim.”
TrumpfollowedBolton’sadviceinotherareas,
includingratchetingupsanctionsagainstIranand
supportingtheousterofVenezuelanPresident
NicolásMaduro,a sofarunsuccessfulendeavor.
AftertheabortiveTalibansummit,Pompeo33TOM BRENNER/BLOOMBERG
The Trump Administration’s
Plan
○ In firing John Bolton as national security
adviser, the president handed Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo a victory○ Staffers whose
departures were
announced
unceremoniously by
Trump on Twitter① Chief of staff Reince
Priebus
July 28, 2017
② Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson
March 13, 2018
③ National security
adviser H.R. McMaster
March 22, 2018
④ White House counsel
Don McGahn
Aug. 29, 2018
⑤ Secretary of
Homeland Security
Kirstjen Nielsen
April 8, 2019
⑥ Acting Secretary
of Defense Patrick
Shanahan
June 18, 2019
⑦ National security
adviser John BoltonSept. 10, 2019wrong because it conflates independence with
sovereignty.” In his perspective, the power-sharing
required by European institutions is the best way to
make sure that people’s sovereignty is more than a
hollow slogan. He said in his Bologna speech, “True
sovereignty is reflected not in the power of mak-
ing laws—as a legal definition would have it—but in
the ability to control outcomes and respond to the
fundamental needs of the people: what John Locke
defines as their ‘peace, safety, and public good.’
The ability to make independent decisions does not
guarantee countries such control. In other words,
independence does not guarantee sovereignty.”
So what will happen after Oct. 31, when Draghisteps down from his commanding role as the
most powerful Italian in the world and returns to
his native land? No one appears to believe that
Draghi’s public life is over. Even Berlusconi, who
often clashed with Draghi, seems to expect him to
be a player in Italian affairs. In an interview before
the May 2019 European Parliament elections, he
said Draghi “would be the right man for a high-
profile role” in the country. If so, he will no lon-
ger be able to avoid the hard questions—and the
difficult answers.
—An excerpt adapted from Mario Draghi, L’artefice
by Jana Randow and Alessandro Speciale, to be pub-
lished in Italian on Oct. 8 by Rizzoli.