Romney: Bolton firing ‘a huge loss’ for nation

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) defended outgoing national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday, calling his firing a “huge loss.”

“His view was not always the same as everybody else in the room. That’s why you wanted him there. The fact that he was a contrarian from time to time is an asset not a liability,” Romney told reporters Tuesday after the president tweeted that Bolton had been fired.

“I’m very very unhappy to hear that he’s leaving. It is a huge loss for the administration in my opinion and for the nation,” Romney added.

{mosads}Trump sent a shockwave through Washington on Tuesday when he announced via tweet that he had dismissed Bolton. 

“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration,” Trump tweeted.

Bolton was viewed as a polarizing figure on Capitol Hill, where Democrats, and some Republicans, worried that he pushed Trump toward more hawkish foreign policies. 

But Bolton and Trump have reportedly been at odds recently. 

Bolton was reportedly vehemently opposed to a proposed meeting with the Taliban at Camp David, which would have occurred days before the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Trump, however, has denied reports that Bolton and Vice President Pence disagreed with his plan to invite the Taliban to Washington. 

Some of Bolton’s detractors immediately praised his ousting. 

“John Bolton never should have been hired. I hope the president’s next national security adviser will focus on securing peace, not expanding war,” Rep. Justin Amash tweeted on Tuesday.  

Rebecca Klar contributed.