Former Trump national security advisor John Bolton says he is considering 2024 presidential bid

John Bolton, who was erstwhile President Donald Trump's nationalist information advisor for much than a year, said Monday helium is "absolutely" considering launching a 2024 statesmanlike bid — successful ample portion to situation Trump.

Bolton, speaking connected NBC News' "Meet The Press Now," said the "one thing" that would spur him to tally would beryllium "to marque it wide to the radical of this state that Donald Trump is unacceptable arsenic the Republican nominee."

Bolton called it "un-American" for Trump to "challenge the Constitution" erstwhile helium suggested implicit the play that the nation's ultimate instrumentality could beryllium terminated successful bid to enactment him backmost successful the White House.

Bolton, who has periodically been a vocal Trump professional since departing his medication successful September 2019, called the erstwhile president's declaration "an existential menace to the republic itself."

Trump, who has regularly dispersed mendacious claims of wide predetermination fraud since his nonaccomplishment to President Joe Biden successful 2020, claimed successful a societal media station Saturday that, "A Massive Fraud of this benignant and magnitude allows for the termination of each rules, regulations, and articles, adjacent those recovered successful the Constitution."

Trump appeared to locomotion backmost that connection earlier Monday, saying it was "Fake News" to assertion helium "wanted to 'terminate' the Constitution." In follow-up posts, Trump declared successful each caps that "IF AN ELECTION IS IRREFUTABLY FRAUDULENT, IT SHOULD GO TO THE RIGHTFUL WINNER OR, AT A MINIMUM, BE REDONE."

Bolton rejected Trump's clarifications, saying his sentiment is "not simply incorrect and outrageous, it is disqualifying."

"Donald Trump, if helium were to instrumentality the oath of bureau again, God forbid, would either beryllium lying astir preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution, oregon possibly helium wouldn't accidental it astatine all," Bolton said. "You can't person this benignant of approach. It's not thing 1 tin disagree with. This is foundational to the republic."

Bolton called connected GOP leaders to denounce Trump, who is presently the lone Republican to denote his candidacy for the 2024 statesmanlike election. Numerous different Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump's ex-Vice President Mike Pence, are expected to beryllium gearing up to tally for the GOP nomination.

The Biden medication said attacks connected the Constitution should beryllium "universally condemned." Many apical Republicans, however, person avoided publically addressing Trump's remarks erstwhile asked for comment.

Bolton, noting that galore Republican enactment roles are presently up for consideration, said that each prospective campaigner should repudiate Trump's remarks.

"And honestly, if they don't, there's 1 happening that would get maine to get into the statesmanlike race, which I looked astatine successful anterior elections, it would beryllium to marque it wide to the radical of this state that Donald Trump is unacceptable arsenic the Republican nominee," Bolton said.

When pressed connected those remarks, Bolton confirmed helium would "absolutely" see getting into the 2024 race. To beryllium a statesmanlike candidate, helium said, 1 indispensable not lone state enactment for the Constitution but besides absorption to "people who would undercut it."

Referencing the defunct House Un-American Activities Committee, Bolton said, "I deliberation erstwhile you situation the Constitution itself the mode Trump has done, that is un-American."

He challenged different Republicans to accidental the same. "I don't spot wherefore they aren't saying it close now," helium said.

Nearly each GOP voters "disagree that Donald Trump is much important than the Constitution," Bolton said. "What does a campaigner person to suffer by appealing to 95% of the basal of the Republican Party?"

He said helium wanted to spot "Shermanesque statements" denouncing Trump from different imaginable candidates, and if helium does not, "then I'm going to earnestly see getting in."

Asked for his views connected the 2024 contention and what his imaginable run mightiness look like, Bolton predicted that nationalist information issues volition predominate the 2024 predetermination rhythm "The isolationist microorganism that Trump has fto escaped needs to beryllium addressed, arsenic well," helium added.

Bolton contrasted Trump, a "whiner," with erstwhile GOP President Ronald Reagan's much "optimistic" message. The erstwhile nationalist information advisor said his imaginable statesmanlike level mightiness beryllium "very Reaganesque."

Bolton described his authorities arsenic "pretty libertarian" and said helium was "not a societal conservative."

He added that helium believes the 2024 statesmanlike tract volition beryllium "very crowded," and that helium mightiness marque a determination connected whether to tally "earlier than immoderate would think."