John Bolton Returns to the International Stage: The Crisis That Greets Him and How He'll Respond

WASHINGTON — It's John Bolton's first day at the White House in his new role as national security advisor and perhaps one of the most significant for the Trump administration as it grapples with how to respond to a gas attack in Syria that left women and children foaming at the mouth.

President Donald Trump has threatened there's a "big price to pay" for the attack and announced there will be a major decision on how to respond in the next 24 to 48 hours. That's a quick turnaround for Bolton. 

"If it's Russia, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together we'll figure it out and we'll know the answers quite soon," said the president at a scheduled Cabinet meeting.

The big question is how will Bolton try to influence the US response?

The 69-year-old, who previously served as ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, has a well-established reputation of being bold and hawkish when it comes to national security, especially when dealing with rogue nations like Syria, Iran and North Korea.

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bolton made the case for "striking North Korea first."

"Given the gaps in US intelligence about North Korea, we should not wait until the very last minute," Bolton warned. "That would risk striking after the North has deliverable nuclear weapons, a much more dangerous situation," he wrote.

Bolton's new role in the West Wing responding to the attack in Syria comes as the president has moved to drastically scale back the number of US troops there, saying America will withdraw as soon as the remaining Islamic State fighters have been defeated. 

Bolton takes over for H.R. McMaster, whose last day was Friday. In a tweet, Bolton wished McMaster well, calling him a "true leader and patriot."

All the best to H.R. McMaster as he departs the NSC. He is a true leader and patriot, and I am thankful for his long service to our country. pic.twitter.com/Vm7ysqfLZh

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) April 7, 2018