Support was building Saturday for former UN Ambassador John Bolton to fill the White House national security adviser spot left vacant by Michael Flynn's resignation.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, senior White House officials and members of the National Security Council are pushing for Bolton, including senior administration officials loyal to Flynn who were upset at his exit.
"There's a strong inclination in the NSC towards the kind of experienced leadership Bolton would represent," one unnamed official told the Free Beacon. "He knows the ins and outs of D.C. but he's not an establishment, Never Trump type."
Another unnamed foreign policy source told the outlet that Bolton, as a senior figure in the George W. Bush administration, brings a deep knowledge of the White House that would give the new Trump administration added credibility.
"The one thing that makes Bolton more qualified than anyone else for the Trump era is that he has a veteran genius-level understanding of the organizational structure of our nation's diplomatic and intelligence apparatus," that source told the Free Beacon.
Foreign policy writer Lauren Rosen reported that an unnamed source said Trump told deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland to "pick her new boss" – and she named Bolton.
On Friday, Sen. Ted Cruz also named Bolton as a "very strong" prospect.
"One person I think would be very, very strong is John Bolton," the Texas Republican told CNN. "He's someone who understands the world, he understands the threats of radical Islamic terrorism."
By Saturday, advocates for Bolton, who was originally considered by Trump for secretary of state during the transition, were lining up on Twitter to weigh in.
California radio host Larry Elder endorsed Bolton as someone who should've been Trump's "first choice,"
while Town Hall columnist Kurt Schlichter praised Bolton as "brilliant" and a "ruthless advocate for American interests."
The short list is now apparently comprised of four prospects.
The president himself tweeted that retired Lt. Gen Keith Kellogg remains "in the running." White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump would on Sunday interview Kellogg, as well as Army strategist Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Bolton and West Point superintendent Lt. Col. Robert Caslen, Politico reported.
According to the Washington Examiner, the president will interview candidates this weekend at Mar-a-Lago, including Bolton, Kellogg and McMaster.
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