Summary

  • President Trump tweets that he fired National Security Adviser John Bolton

  • "I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions," Mr Trump wrote

  • His departure comes as a surprise - but Mr Bolton disputes he was fired

  • He is the third of Mr Trump's national security advisers to leave

  • He was heavily involved in the White House's Iran, Afghanistan and N Korea strategies

  • Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says departure is "a symbol of disarray"

Live Reporting

Toby Luckhurst, Joshua Nevett and Rosie Blunt

  1. Was he fired or did he quit?

    John Bolton himself has tweeted, and he’s already throwing the president’s versions of events into doubt. He says that he offered to resign last night, but that Mr Trump asked to talk to him about it on Tuesday.

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    He’s also speaking to reporters, insisting he wasn’t fired and promising (ominously) to have his own say “in due course” – according to reporters at the Washington Post and the New York Times.

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    Mr Bolton's tweet comes after the White House press office said he was set to appear at a press briefing on Tuesday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

    It seems this came as a surprise to everyone...

  2. John Bolton leaves the White House

    Hi, it’s Toby Luckhurst, kicking off this live page from the BBC in London. In the last hour - and a little out of the blue - we’ve learned that National Security Adviser John Bolton has lost his job at the White House.

    Mr Trump tweeted that he told Bolton last night that “his services are no longer needed”, saying he “disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions”.

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    There was no warning that Bolton’s job was in danger, and reaction is pouring in. Stay with us for more.