Politics
Trump dismisses John Bolton, says they ‘disagreed strongly’
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had significant disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.
The two men offered opposing accounts on Bolton’s less than friendly departure, a leave-taking example of what had been a fractious relationship almost from the start.
Trump tweeted that he told Bolton Monday night his services were no longer needed at the White House and Bolton submitted his resignation Tuesday morning. Bolton responded in a tweet of his own that he offered to resign Monday “and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.’”
Trump said that he had “disagreed strongly” with many of Bolton’s suggestions as national security adviser, “as did others in the administration.”
The departure comes at a trying moment for the Trump administration on the world stage, weeks ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and as the president faces pressing decisions on a host of foreign policy issues.
In recent months, tensions have risen between Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over influence in the president’s orbit and how to manage the president’s desire to negotiate with some of the world’s most unsavory actors.
Since joining the administration in the spring of last year, Bolton has espoused skepticism about the president’s whirlwind rapprochement with North Korea and has advocated against Trump’s decision last year to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. He masterminded a quiet campaign inside the administration and with allies abroad to persuade Trump to keep U.S. forces in Syria to counter the remnants of the Islamic State and Iranian influence in the region.
Bolton was also opposed to Trump’s now-scrapped notion to bring Taliban negotiators to Camp David last weekend to try to finalize a peace deal in Afghanistan.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was traveling with Trump Monday, said reports of Bolton’s dissent on the Taliban meeting was a “bridge too far” for Trump.
One Republican familiar with the disagreements between Trump and Bolton said the adviser’s opposition to a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was a precipitating factor in the dismissal. French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to broker such a meeting, possibly on the sidelines of the upcoming U.N. General Assembly, in the hope of salvaging the international Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from.
Bolton and his National Security Council staff were also viewed warily by some in the White House who viewed them as more attuned to their own agendas than the president’s — and some administration aides have accused Bolton’s staff of being behind leaks of information embarrassing to Trump.
Bolton’s ouster came as a surprise to many in the White House. Just an hour before Trump’s tweet, the press office announced that Bolton would join Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a briefing. A White House official said that Bolton had departed the premises after Trump’s tweet and would no longer appear as scheduled.
In a further sign of acrimonious relationship, a person close to Bolton told reporters that they had been authorized to say one thing — that since Bolton has been national security adviser there have been no “bad deals” on Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. The person, who did not divulge who had given the authorization, was not allowed to discuss the issue by name and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
When asked to respond to the person’s comment, White House press secretary Grisham smiled and told reporters: “I don’t know how to read” it. “Sounds like just somebody trying to protect him,” she added.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the move was a cause for worry.
“I’m legitimately shaken by the grave instability of American foreign policy today,” Murphy tweeted. “I’m no Bolton fan, but the world is coming apart, and the revolving door of U.S. leadership is disappearing America from the world just at the moment where a stable American hand is most needed.”
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Charles Kupperman, the deputy national security adviser and a former Reagan administration official and defense contracting executive, would fill Bolton’s role on an acting basis. Trump said he would name a replacement for Bolton next week.
High profile departures under President Donald Trump. (AP Graphic)
Bolton was named Trump’s third national security adviser in March 2018 after the departure of Army Gen. H.R. McMaster.
Bolton was always an unlikely pick to be Trump’s third national security adviser, with a world view seemingly ill-fit to the president’s isolationist “America First” pronouncements.
He’s championed hawkish foreign policy views dating back to the Reagan administration and became a household name over his vociferous support for the Iraq War as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under George W. Bush. Bolton briefly considered running for president in 2016, in part to make the case against the isolationism that Trump would come to embody.
Still, Trump has admired Bolton for years, praising him on Twitter as far back as 2014. Trump has told allies he thinks Bolton is “a killer” on television, where Bolton is a frequent face on Fox News, though the president has voiced some unhappiness about Bolton’s trademark mustache.
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Central Florida News
FBI Director Kash Patel Addresses Global Threats, Crime-Fighting Partnerships at International Police Conference in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — FBI Director Kash Patel discussed bureau priorities, violent crime and cooperation across jurisdictions during the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center.
The annual conference and exposition, held Oct. 24-27, brought together law enforcement professionals from the United States and abroad for training, presentations and discussions about public safety.
Patel addressed the evolving global threat environment and the importance of partnerships among federal, state, local, territorial and international law enforcement agencies confronting violent crime and transnational threats.
FBI priorities and violent crime
Violent crime enforcement was among the priorities Patel discussed during his Orlando visit.
Published coverage of his weekly update from Orlando described a broader agenda encompassing cybercrime, fraud and other investigative responsibilities. The update also highlighted cooperation among the FBI, the Justice Department and state and local authorities.
The conference provided an opportunity for bureau leadership to discuss those priorities with police executives whose agencies work alongside federal investigators.
Photo by Florida National News
Cooperation across jurisdictions
Partnerships were a central theme of Patel’s appearance, including coordination among agencies at different levels of government and cooperation with international counterparts.
Transnational investigations can involve suspects, evidence and criminal activity spanning multiple jurisdictions, requiring agencies to work across geographic and institutional boundaries.
Published coverage of Patel’s visit also reported plans for meetings with the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the IACP Board of Directors.
Patel highlights partnerships in X post
“Great to be in Orlando visiting with our brilliant law enforcement partners,” Patel wrote in a post on X about the conference.
Patel described the gathering as drawing more than 20,000 law enforcement professionals, leaders and partners. He credited cooperation with the FBI for reductions in crime.
In the post, Patel cited a 20% reduction in the national murder rate and more than 54,000 FBI violent crime arrests, which he described as a 90% increase.
The post did not specify the reporting periods or underlying datasets for those figures. The statistics were not independently verified for this article..
Global threats and local policing
The changing threat environment was another focus of Patel’s remarks, connecting the FBI’s national responsibilities with challenges facing police departments and their international partners.
The gathering offered law enforcement leaders an opportunity to discuss shared concerns, exchange professional knowledge and strengthen relationships that support investigations.
FBI Director Kash Patel, right, participates in a fireside chat with IACP President David B. Rausch during the Closing General Assembly of the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News.
Training and professional development
Beyond executive presentations, the four-day conference featured educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exposition showcasing products and services for law enforcement.
Organizers identified training, networking and exhibit hall education as the conference’s three central components.
The Orlando event brought those activities together to help police leaders develop their agencies and exchange approaches to public safety.
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Florida National News Staff | News@FloridaNationalNews.com
Central Florida News
Broadcaster Ray Cruz Santiago Criticizes Samuel Vilchez Santiago With Communist Graphics, Puerto Rican Identity Claims
The commentator’s video pairs the Democrat’s image with Soviet-style imagery and references his grandfather’s communist beliefs; Vilchez Santiago has publicly rejected socialism.
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Hispanic broadcaster Ray Cruz Santiago is targeting Florida House Democratic nominee Samuel Vilchez Santiago in a video that depicts the candidate in a Soviet-style military uniform and pairs his name with a hammer-and-sickle graphic.
The approximately two-minute video invokes Vilchez Santiago’s description of his grandfather as a communist while presenting images of the candidate, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Republican opponent Jorge Malavet.
In separate Facebook posts, Cruz Santiago also accuses the Venezuelan-born Democrat of misleading Puerto Rican voters about his heritage. The material reviewed does not substantiate that allegation, and Vilchez Santiago has publicly rejected the socialist label.
Video visually links candidate to communism
The uploaded video shows an apparent composite depicting Vilchez Santiago in a military uniform and peaked cap. Another graphic places the name “Samuel Vilchez” beneath a red flag bearing a hammer and sickle.
An on-screen caption describes him, translated from Spanish, as a “Democratic candidate in District 43 with a communist grandfather.”
The sequence also juxtaposes footage of Chávez with an image of Vilchez Santiago draped in a Venezuelan flag. Later frames display Malavet and Vilchez Santiago alongside Puerto Rican and Venezuelan flag symbols, respectively.
Together, those visual choices suggest an association between the Democratic candidate and communism. They do not independently establish his political beliefs, affiliations or support for Venezuela’s government. The uniform depiction should be understood as an apparent composite, rather than documentary evidence that he wore such a uniform.
Grandfather’s statement includes family opposition to Chavismo
The reference to Vilchez Santiago’s grandfather has a documented source.
“My grandfather was a communist,” Vilchez Santiago said in a 2019 Princeton University profile. In the same discussion, he described his parents as politically active opponents of Venezuela’s Chavista government and discussed his family’s departure because of political persecution. pace.princeton.edu
That account describes an ideological divide within his family. His grandfather’s beliefs do not establish the candidate’s own ideology.
Candidate has rejected socialist label
Cruz Santiago’s supplied posts describe Vilchez Santiago as a socialist or democratic socialist, a characterization the candidate has disputed.
“I am not a socialist. I have never been a socialist,” Vilchez Santiago said in Spanish in an interview published Sept. 29 by La Prensa Florida.
He argued that proposals involving health care, Social Security and lower household expenses should not automatically be labeled socialist. His stated priorities included easing property tax increases for first-time homebuyers, reducing toll expenses and simplifying small-business registration. laprensafl.com
Separate posts question Puerto Rican campaign imagery
Cruz Santiago’s heritage criticism appears in separate Facebook posts alleging that Vilchez Santiago is presenting himself as Puerto Rican to attract voters. www.facebook.com
A screenshot of a campaign advertisement supplied to FNN shows a photograph of Vilchez Santiago holding a Puerto Rican flag alongside two women, with his campaign branding displayed over the image.
The photograph places a recognizable symbol of Puerto Rican identity within the campaign’s presentation of his personal story. Viewers unfamiliar with his Venezuelan background could interpret it as suggesting Puerto Rican heritage. The materials reviewed do not establish whether viewers reached that conclusion or whether the campaign intended it.
The screenshot contains no explicit claim of Puerto Rican ancestry. Vilchez Santiago’s Venezuelan background is publicly documented in the Princeton profile and a Venezuelan-American Caucus biography. pace.princeton.edu
Why the presentation matters to voters
The criticism combines two distinct subjects: the candidate’s heritage and his political beliefs.
For voters evaluating the material, the central distinction is between documented statements and associations created through editing. The grandfather’s communist beliefs are supported by the candidate’s published account. The uniform, hammer-and-sickle graphic and Chávez juxtaposition are elements of the video’s presentation, rather than proof of the candidate’s ideology.
Likewise, the Puerto Rican flag photograph documents the campaign’s use of cultural imagery without establishing a false claim of ancestry.
Broadcaster brings criticism into District 43 contest
Cruz Santiago hosts El Escándalo del Día on Miami’s Radio Mambí 710 AM, according to his professional profile. Salsoul’s official website also lists him among its personalities. www.linkedin.com
Readers can review his commentary on Facebook and visit his website.
Vilchez Santiago and Malavet are the Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively, in the Nov. 3 election for Florida House District 43, according to state election records. dos.elections.myflorida.com
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