John R. Bolton was ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush and national security adviser under President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump is caught in an Iran war trap of his own making. He has for weeks been all-too-visibly eager for a deal allowing him to declare “victory” for … something. Conversely, he seems to deeply fear making a Barack Obama-like nuclear deal, and the inevitable (and justifiable) criticism. Good answers seem scarce, reinforcing his frustration. That was evident on Sunday when, posting online, he denounced as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Iran’s response to a U.S. framework to end the war. He must feel like George H.W. Bush, who once described himself as “one lonely little guy down here” at the White House.
