John Bolton Says He Briefed Trump On Strait of Hormuz Scenarios That the President Now Claims Ignorance About

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Mar 17th, 2026, 9:18 pm


Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told CNN he briefed President Donald Trump on multiple Iran retaliation scenarios during his first term, despite the president now claiming he’s “shocked” by Iran’s actions.

Bolton, who served under Trump before a public falling out, joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday evening, where he was surprised to hear Trump had “indicated” he wasn’t made aware of the potential of retaliatory strikes Iran has since made against neighboring countries and the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant amount of the world’s oil moves through.

“The president seemed to indicate yesterday that he had not been briefed on the potential that Iran might strike out at its neighbors or try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Is that conceivable to you that he would not have been briefed on those potential those potential, you know repercussions?” Cooper asked Bolton.

Bolton noted he’s long been a supporter of a “regime change campaign” in Iran — though he’s acknowledged “mistakes” Trump’s made with his strikes — and it’s one of the issues that set him at odds with officials in Trump’s first administration. He said he brought up scenarios of striking Iran multiple times and retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere were always brought up.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/john-bolton-says-he-briefed-trump-on-strait-of-hormuz-scenarios-that-the-president-now-claims-ignorance-about/

[Roy Rolling]

1. I, for One, am Flabbergasted

War and simply killing the people in a geographic area is not in America’s interests?

Who, other than every non-MAGAt in the world, could’ve predicted war is not a universal answer for weak man-boys to get what they want.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Trump didn't care. He thought Iran would cave into his demands.

Trump thinks he holds all the cards.

[Multichromatic]

9. Narrator: Trump was in fact NOT holding all the cards.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. Lost his cards along with his marbles

[PatSeg]

10. Yes, all the power has gone to his head

He honestly thinks he can do anything and the rest of the world will cave to his demands.

[Irish_Dem]

31. US Supreme Court and Congress have equal blame in all of this.

When you empower and give immunity to a total psychopath,
you will get the crime of the century.

[PatSeg]

35. True

How could so many go along with this madness without any pushback? They can't all be victims of blackmail or bribery

[BattleRow]

39. An orange Elvis....with psychophants

catering to every delusion and desire.
We know what throne the King died on.....
At least Elvis had talent.

(And I spelled sycophants as psychophants on purpose ).

[underpants]

27. Everyone in his orbit not only never corrects him, they praise everything he does

From his echo chamber of sycophants and parasites to the Tech Broligarchy to an at least complicit if not state run media to the standing ovation he gets at dinner when he’s fleecing us for money (his weekend job).

[Irish_Dem]

37. Yes our country is being run in a closed feedback loop.

No outside opinion is wanted or needed.

Trump goes where the money is.
Period. He doesn't need help with that.

[MyOwnPeace]

41. Seriously.........

Who can ever watch those videos of a ‘cabinet meeting’ where they line up to drop down and give appropriate ‘honors’ ( yeah, application of lips on the giant orange ‘Lord’) - makes you want to BARF!

[C_U_L8R]

3. Any school kid would know better.

Trump has to be the dumbest person in America.

[Ray Bruns]

4. Yea, but that was eight years ago and Trump can't remember what he had for breakfast.

So, this is really on you Bolton.

[FakeNoose]

6. Exactly, when Chump can't remember what was said to him 8 minutes ago

John Bolton is just flapping his gums about nothing. Everyone who's ever worked for Chump in ANY capacity, knows he won't listen to anyone or take anyone's advice. For Bolton to mention something he said to Chump in the first term is just ludicrous.

[SunSeeker]

15. Trump can't remember what Trump said 8 minutes ago. nt

[multigraincracker]

18. I use to call it CRS, can't remember shite.

Now I call it dementia.
I’m his age.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

5. "Claims Ignorance about"

That is super funny - no one can argue about that.

[malthaussen]

7. The Strait of Hormuz is not something that requires a "briefing."

All you have to do is look at a map.

-- Mal

[Hope22]

22. Or have paid attention for the last 30+ years.

There are zero surprises!

[underpants]

26. Thank you. I was just about to post LOOK AT A _______ MAP

[tanyev]

8. C'mon, John. You know Trump only believes people who say what he wants to hear.

[thesquanderer]

19. plus he only pays attention to the last voice he heard. Bolton is way out of date. (n/t)

[Seinan Sensei]

23. Yeah, John

Did you draw him stick-figures with a Sharpie?

[Orrex]

11. Well, in Trump's defense

He’s ignorant about pretty much everything.

[irisblue]

12. Bolton, an educated gentleman like himself/s knows the dementia ate trumps brain

I suspect Bolton is talking to 1-maybe get a job with Vance 2- trying to lay down defense tactics for his upcoming 2027 trial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_John_Bolton


( yes that is a Firefly quote massaged in there)

[James48]

13. This does not end well.

Trump will continue to ratchet the stakes up.
If he lands 5,000 Marines on Kharg Island- then what?
Iran will move them off. There is no neat and easy way that this ends.

He’s destroyed everything.

[frogstar0]

14. TACO can't remember what he said 2 minutes ago, how...

can you expect him to remember what his national security advisor say 8 years ago? People are so unfair to little Donny. Expecting him to understand that other people might not see how he has the very best of everything and they need to just do what he saids. How is he supposed to keep all these countries and presidents straight? So unfair.

[ChicagoTeamster]

16. I doubt Trump even remembered the briefing 15 min after Bolton left. Trump's staff probably stopped him.

They probably had to explain that Bolton told him attacking Iran would be very bad and he would wind up losing reelection. That, he listens to.

[mgardener]

17. Does Bolton

Not know that Trump has the attention span of a gnat?

[BradBo]

20. Trumps stuck in quagmire.

He gonna get more and more unhinged now. Even more than he already is.

[Bluetus]

21. Trump is SENILE. He can't remember what he said 15 minutes ago

let alone with Bolton told him 6 years ago.

[iemanja]

24. There is a lot he knows nothing about

another indication that he isn't fit to be President.

[republianmushroom]

25. Like with a toddler, must be repeated over and over again.

[Raven123]

28. Wait a minute. It sounds like Trump adopted Bolton's idea

Trump is demented, but he has had help from the neo-cons.

[BumRushDaShow]

33. This whole thing has been a "Lindsey Graham Production"

And that has brought neocons like Bolton and even Condaleeza Rice, out of hibernation.

[Raven123]

34. Someone check to see if Dick Cheney is really dead!

[BumRushDaShow]

36. Last I heard

he was at an "undisclosed location"!

[patphil]

29. There's not a lot left in Trump's head to stop words from going in one ear and out the other.

And briefings are oh so boring.

[Playingmantis]

30. In Trump's defense He was sleeping at the time

[mdbl]

32. Or you could say in his defense he's ignorant about everything.

But that's just giving him an excuse.

[DallasNE]

38. What Probably Happened

Bolton didn't dumb it down enough for Trump to understand the retaliation measures he was laying out. Trump never shows the gravitas that situations like this call for. I remember Kissinger talking about the Gulf of Hormuz some 50 years or so ago. Something I have alway wondered is whether anybody ever studied the feasibility of blasting a canal through that tip, taking that hazardous tip out of play. The current National Security Advisor has been thrown under the bus by Trump, so why hasn't he resigned? He is being blamed for thes mess.

[BumRushDaShow]

40. The other being blamed

is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143633393

[MorbidButterflyTat]

43. Pound sand and kick rocks

Got another book coming out?

Fuck off, Bolton.