Before we start freaking out about Bolton — an appointment we’ve known was coming for weeks now — it may help to actually look at what the responsibilities of the National Security Advisor are:
Per Wikipedia:
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor (NSA) or at times informally termed the NSC advisor,[1][2] is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at the West Wing of the White House, who serves as the chief in-house advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President and does not require confirmation by the Senate,[3] but an appointment of a three or four-star general to the role requires Senate reconfirmation of military rank.[4]
The National Security Advisor participates in meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) and usually chairs meetings of the Principals Committee of the NSC with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense (i.e., the meetings not attended by the President). The National Security Advisor is supported by NSC staff who produce research and briefings for the National Security Advisor to review and present, either to the National Security Council or directly to the President.
Mmmkay, so. He...advises. What else?
The influence and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration and depends not only on the qualities of the person appointed to the position but also on the style and management philosophy of the incumbent President.[5] Ideally, the National Security Advisor serves as an honest broker of policy options for the President in the field of national security, rather than as an advocate for his or her own policy agenda.
Hahahaha. So he’s a mouth piece for the President. Speaking for the President. Okay. See we’ve seen how THAT has worked out for other WH staff so far (Priebus, Hicks, Tillerson, Dowd, on and on).
But where’s the war? Can he press buttons?
However, the National Security Advisor is a staff position in the Executive Office of the President and does not have line or budget authority over either the Department of State or the Department of Defense, unlike the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, who are Senate-confirmed officials with statutory authority over their departments;[7]
What? No line or budget authority over State or DoD? So, he’s still got to go through… Mattis.
The Secretary of Defense's power and authority over the United States' military is second only to that of the President and Congress.[8
Huh.
but the National Security Advisor is able to offer daily advice (due to the proximity) to the President independently of the vested interests of the large bureaucracies and clientele of those departments.
Hahaha. More advice. Daily. Yeah. Good luck with that.
Lastly, how many National Security Advisors can you name off the top of your head?
Condi Rice, Brent Snowcroft, Susan Rice, Colin Powell. Kissinger (ok, he was legit problematic).
And how many National Security Advisors has Trump had? Oh yeah. Bolton is his THIRD. Just like a marriage I guess. Certainly one name comes to mind: Michael Flynn. How’d THAT turn out.
Make no mistake. I consider Bolton a terrible choice, and one that could potentially obstruct the investigation and send a damning signal internationally as to the reliability of the United States.
But his appointment being some precursor to war far overestimates both the interest and ambition of this President, as well as the responsibilities of the position.
Now if PENCE were President… I’d be worried.