“Our worldview rests on the exceptionalism of America.”
That was the message John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations, shared with the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, on Friday.
Bolton highlighted three key areas that would be of particular importance during the next four years, and shared his thoughts on how the Trump administration should address each one.
1. Radical Islamic Terrorism
President Donald Trump, Bolton said, had asked the Pentagon to develop “a new war plan to deal with ISIS and the Middle East.”
“Key to that plan has to be that we move to destroy ISIS as rapidly as possible but in a way that minimizes the upside for Iran and its allies in that conflict,” Bolton said
2. Nuclear Weapons
Bolton addressed the threat of nuclear developments and weapons of mass destruction from several countries, including Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
“With respect to Iran, and its support for international terrorism and its nuclear weapons program, candidate Trump described everything that was wrong with Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran,” Bolton said.
“He should abrogate that deal, end that deal as soon as possible. We need a clear statement of leadership by the United States that this was a strategic debacle for our country and we don’t intend to let it persist.”
Speaking about North Korea, the former ambassador said it was crucial “to pressure China on Korean reunification to eliminate the regime in North Korea and to apply its unique power to stop Kim Jong Un from nuclear terrorism around the world.”
After criticizing the media’s coverage of Trump’s comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bolton focused on “the disastrous Obama administration New START … Treaty.” Trump, Bolton remarked, “has said this is a badly negotiated, one-sided treaty that gives Russia a decided advantage that we didn’t have to give away.”
“Having made that analysis,” Bolton added, “the next step in the bilateral relationship with Russia is for this administration to abrogate the New START Treaty so that we have a nuclear deterrent that’s equal to our needs to prevent future conflict. That would be a signal to Vladimir Putin.”
3. Protecting American Sovereignty Against the Pressures of Global Governance
In his remarks, Bolton strongly affirmed the importance of putting America first, saying, “Our leaders should not expect, nor should they seek the approval, of the international high-minded. We have made our own world order.”
“We have to fight for American sovereignty, and here’s the principle that the Trump administration should announce: On this earth for Americans, there is no authority higher than the U.S. Constitution,” Bolton said.
Bolton closed his speech with an emphasis on American sovereignty internationally, saying, “If anybody tells you that international law is superior to the Constitution, tell [them] to tell it to the Founding Fathers.”
CPAC, the largest annual national gathering of conservative activists, runs from Wednesday to Saturday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington.