Bolton on Trump, speech: Finally, a ‘real American president’

Invigorated by Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton applauded his candid delivery and tough stance on North Korea.

Bolton appreciated the boldness and unapologetic tone – a character that many believe former President Barack Obama lacked when challenged by foreign powers – insisting that there is now a “real American president” in the White House.

A leader, not an appeaser

Trump applied even more pressure to isolate North Korea by divulging a new round of U.S. sanctions against the rogue regime on Thursday. He also announced China’s commitment to hit Supreme Leader Kim Jung Un and his communist nation with a significant financial blow.

“Today, I’m announcing a new executive order I just signed that significantly expands our authorities to target individuals, companies, financial institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea,” Trump declared at the U.N.

According to Bolton, Trump’s plan is putting North Korea between a rock and a hard place.

“It’s potentially significant because – if we were to sanction companies or banks doing business with North Korea – that could have a knock-on effect to other countries doing the same and could affect their ability to do transactions in the United States,” Bolton told WND. “Do you want to do business with us, or do you want to do business with North Korea? Your choice entirely, but it’s going to be one or the other.”

He was pleased to see that Trump sent a clear message to North Korea that he means business.

“Why didn’t we do this about eight or 10 years ago?” the foreign relations expert posed. “Why is it that we’ve waited this long? I think we have the answer. I think President Trump is determined to do something about North Korea and Iran and their nuclear programs.”

More than a decade ago, when Bolton served under former President George W. Bush as the U.S.’s ambassador to the U.N., he said there was a lot of resistance to go up against the communist regime.

“There was a lot of discussion in the Bush administration about sanctions, but (there was) a lot of opposition to really squeezing North Korea,” Bolton said. “Ultimately, I don’t think we did really anywhere near what we could have.”

Regarding the Obama administration’s refusal to act, he said Obama simply had no interest in getting tough against the communist regime.

“There was no appetite for sanctions against North Korea [under Obama],” Bolton continued. “They were exercising what they called ‘strategic patience’ in the Obama administration. That’s a synonym for doing nothing, and the North Koreans took advantage of it.”

Challenging  China …

He also indicated that Trump was putting added pressure on China via the new sanctions.

“The vast bulk of the institutions doing business with North Korea – financial, commodities, machinery, you name it – are Chinese,” he said. “China, for 25 years, frankly, has two-timed us on their concern about the North Korean nuclear program. So, this gives the president some bite.”

Trump’s aggressive strategy looks like it pressured China into finally do something against its dangerous neighbor to the east.

“China, their central bank, has told other banks – and it’s a massive banking system – to immediately stop doing business with North Korea,” Trump told diplomats at the U.N.

Still, there is no guarantee as to what China will end up doing.

“I think that’s difficult from the outside,” Bolton noted. “God knows how many banks there are and how many new banks can be created that might be able to facilitate North Korean trade, for example, with Iran.”

Not intimidated here …

Trump made no apologies when sharing his strategy to root out the North Korean threat.

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” Trump stressed Tuesday. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary.”

This approach was spot on, according to Bolton.

“I thought it was entirely appropriate,” the former ambassador to the U.N. expressed, according to WND. “Some of these people talk about what’s becoming or unbecoming to say at the U.N. Honestly, the United Nations is not a church. You’re not supposed to be reverential toward threats to international peace and security and innocent American civilians.”

After watching Obama cower away from conflict over his two terms in the White House, Bolton said Trump’s speech was more than refreshing.

“After eight years of global governance kind of rhetoric from Obama and the weakness that he projected, maybe some people are shocked when they hear what a real American president has to say,” the conservative politician noted. “All in all, I think it’s the right thing for the president to do. In America, plain speaking is a virtue, and it’s important that these other countries hear it.”

Trump also took a tough approach on Iran.

“[The Iran nuclear deal was] an embarrassment [and] one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” Trump impressed before the U.N.

With that said, the pressure is now on Trump to get the U.S. out of Obama’s failed deal with the terrorist-supporting Islamic Republic – fast.

“If you don’t certify, but stay in the deal that you’ve described already as embarrassing, I think that’s un-presidential,” Bolton asserted. “It’s sort of a one shoe on, one shoe off foreign policy. He needs to lead with moral and political clarity. I think the way you do that is to say this deal is a disaster for the United States and its friends and allies, and we’re getting out of it.”

More accolades

Rev. Franklin Graham also took time out to laud Trump’s U.N. speech.

“[President Trump gave] one of the best speeches [to the U.N.] ever,” Graham insisted, according to CBN News. “Thank God we have a president who stands for truth and is not afraid to speak truth to the whole world.”

He took to social media to make his heightened view of the new commander-in-chief known.

“It made you proud to be an American,” Graham posted on his Facebook page. “I hope you will join me in praying for this man – that God will guide and direct him.”

The praises did not end there, as Young Republicans National Foundation (YRNF) Chairman Jason Emert lauded Trump’s address at the 72nd Session of the U.N. General Assembly.

“President Trump delivered a strong defense of the American-created post-World War II international order,” Emert expressed in a statement, according to GrantCountyBeat.com. “His speech exemplified the leadership needed in today’s world. Foreign policy starts at home – in every nation.”

The conservative leader indicated that what Trump said last week was what everyone in America should expect from their commander-in-chief.

“President Trump’s America First policy is no different than all other nations’ leaders who put their people first,” Emert declared. “Our obligation is to Americans, but American ideals and exceptionalism should continue to shine as the great beacon of hope to all those who live under the scourge of socialist and communist regimes. America First has never meant America alone and the President re-iterated America’s commitment to our allies and the spread of American influence. But, he warned our enemies their belligerence will no longer be tolerated. President Trump has made clear that America is no longer leading from behind and we will once again take the lead in a world seeking ‘security, prosperity, and peace’.”