GOP hurries to persuade Trump to protect former aides from Iran's "hit list"
They are primarily steering clear of any references to the two former aides who oppose Trump: John Bolton and Mark Milley.
TroibNews 
An increasing number of Republicans are expressing concern over President Donald Trump’s decision to remove security details from his former national security aides, particularly in light of recent briefings indicating that threats against them from Iran-backed groups remain significant. The challenge for these Republicans is finding a way to communicate their concerns to Trump.
This issue was discussed during a Senate GOP policy lunch on Tuesday, where many senators concurred that Trump's decision was misguided and could jeopardize U.S. national security in the long run. However, they struggled to devise a strategy to persuade him to reconsider, as reported by two attendees who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose details of the discussions.
The key issue, as outlined by two senior GOP congressional aides and a former Trump administration official familiar with the conversations, is the fear that Trump will become even more obstinate if they confront him too forcefully about their worries regarding the aides—particularly given Trump’s public disputes with two of them.
“If a Republican gave a press conference right now and came out guns blazing on the president, that’s not going to work,” said the first senior GOP Senate aide. “Obviously, you have to do this delicately to get it done.”
Since his first weeks in office, Trump has removed security details from four former aides whom U.S. intelligence agencies believe are targets for assassination by Tehran. Those who currently have security details due to threats from Iran also face similar risks.
These threats primarily arise from Trump’s 2020 decision to eliminate Qassem Soleimani, a significant Iranian general, which infuriated Tehran and prompted it to seek retaliatory actions against Trump and various senior U.S. officials involved in that decision. Trump himself was the target of an unsuccessful Iranian plot this past summer.
Changing Trump’s mind is especially complicated for Republicans due to his personal conflicts with two of the aides losing their security: former National Security Adviser John Bolton and retired General Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump has also had disputes with his former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who currently still has security protection.
As a result, Republicans are emphasizing the cases of two aides they believe have always been loyal to Trump—former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook, former State Department special representative for Iran—despite all four ex-officials facing similar vulnerabilities to Iranian attacks.
“It’s, how do you lead a horse to water on some of these issues that are going to have down-the-road consequence,” said the second senior GOP congressional aide, referencing the difficulty of influencing Trump’s decisions. “This is about real threats against Americans who carried out Trump’s orders.”
Another significant concern for Republicans is that Trump’s changes may send a negative signal to national security officials within his administration, potentially making them hesitant to adopt hardline policies abroad. “If current and future officials worry the government won’t have their back, it could have a chilling effect on the advice they give the President or their willingness to execute lawful orders,” said a third senior Republican Senate aide.
Bolton, Pompeo, and Hook were informed last week about the withdrawal of their government-backed security details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revoked Milley’s personal protective detail on Tuesday.
These actions have raised alarms among Republicans, as these security details were perceived as crucial protections against Iranian operatives operating within the U.S. In some instances, these details consist of around two dozen government security personnel with access to vital U.S. intelligence regarding Iranian strategies and activities.
Lawmakers and staffers recently briefed on this matter have not seen any evidence suggesting that the threats against these officials have diminished.
“There’s little, if basically no, reason to think the threats have gone away,” said the first senior GOP Senate aide.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Lindsey Graham are among the few lawmakers publicly urging Trump to restore security details for all officials at risk from Iran. They made media appearances over the weekend but carefully avoided direct criticisms of the president and did not specify which officials they were referring to.
When asked how they thought the message could be effectively communicated to Trump, the third senior GOP Senate aide mentioned Cotton’s recent media appearance: “Senator Cotton handled it perfectly as the messenger, the message itself, and the venue itself,” the person noted in an email.
Though Hook was involved in the Trump transition team’s State Department planning during the campaign, his participation ended after the election. Trump revealed on social media in November that he would not include Pompeo in his new administration, yet neither has publicly distanced themselves from Trump.
In contrast, Trump has accused Bolton of leaking sensitive national security details in a memoir after firing him during his initial term. He’s also suggested that Milley, who angered him partly by apologizing for clearing protesters outside the White House in 2020, committed treason.
Bolton and Milley “are likely a losing fight,” the first GOP Senate aide conceded when discussing why their names were mentioned less frequently by Republicans concerned about Trump’s decision.
In an interview, Bolton expressed hope for the reinstatement of his protection but insisted he hasn’t spoken to anyone on Capitol Hill regarding the matter. He also voiced frustration that some believe Trump’s decisions regarding Hook and Pompeo were particularly alarming.
“That is a problem right there,” Bolton commented. “It’s okay if you remove protection from somebody who’s been critical [of Trump], but, my goodness, to remove protection from somebody who’s not been critical— I think what it shows is you can’t kiss Donald Trump’s ring enough.”
Milley, Hook, and Pompeo did not respond to requests for comment. Esper also did not comment on whether he continues to have his security detail.
Last week, Trump informed reporters in the Oval Office that former officials cannot expect lifelong security protection.
When asked if Trump was contemplating changing his decision on the four former officials or if he would provide further explanations for it, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes stated that Iran should recognize it would face “devastating consequences” if it attacked an American while Trump is in office.
Congressional aides informed about the Iranian threat express doubts about this certainty.
That “assumes that the folks who run things in Tehran have 100 percent control over their proxies,” stated another senior congressional aide briefed on the Iranian threat. “They almost certainly don’t.”
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
This issue was discussed during a Senate GOP policy lunch on Tuesday, where many senators concurred that Trump's decision was misguided and could jeopardize U.S. national security in the long run. However, they struggled to devise a strategy to persuade him to reconsider, as reported by two attendees who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose details of the discussions.
The key issue, as outlined by two senior GOP congressional aides and a former Trump administration official familiar with the conversations, is the fear that Trump will become even more obstinate if they confront him too forcefully about their worries regarding the aides—particularly given Trump’s public disputes with two of them.
“If a Republican gave a press conference right now and came out guns blazing on the president, that’s not going to work,” said the first senior GOP Senate aide. “Obviously, you have to do this delicately to get it done.”
Since his first weeks in office, Trump has removed security details from four former aides whom U.S. intelligence agencies believe are targets for assassination by Tehran. Those who currently have security details due to threats from Iran also face similar risks.
These threats primarily arise from Trump’s 2020 decision to eliminate Qassem Soleimani, a significant Iranian general, which infuriated Tehran and prompted it to seek retaliatory actions against Trump and various senior U.S. officials involved in that decision. Trump himself was the target of an unsuccessful Iranian plot this past summer.
Changing Trump’s mind is especially complicated for Republicans due to his personal conflicts with two of the aides losing their security: former National Security Adviser John Bolton and retired General Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump has also had disputes with his former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who currently still has security protection.
As a result, Republicans are emphasizing the cases of two aides they believe have always been loyal to Trump—former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook, former State Department special representative for Iran—despite all four ex-officials facing similar vulnerabilities to Iranian attacks.
“It’s, how do you lead a horse to water on some of these issues that are going to have down-the-road consequence,” said the second senior GOP congressional aide, referencing the difficulty of influencing Trump’s decisions. “This is about real threats against Americans who carried out Trump’s orders.”
Another significant concern for Republicans is that Trump’s changes may send a negative signal to national security officials within his administration, potentially making them hesitant to adopt hardline policies abroad. “If current and future officials worry the government won’t have their back, it could have a chilling effect on the advice they give the President or their willingness to execute lawful orders,” said a third senior Republican Senate aide.
Bolton, Pompeo, and Hook were informed last week about the withdrawal of their government-backed security details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revoked Milley’s personal protective detail on Tuesday.
These actions have raised alarms among Republicans, as these security details were perceived as crucial protections against Iranian operatives operating within the U.S. In some instances, these details consist of around two dozen government security personnel with access to vital U.S. intelligence regarding Iranian strategies and activities.
Lawmakers and staffers recently briefed on this matter have not seen any evidence suggesting that the threats against these officials have diminished.
“There’s little, if basically no, reason to think the threats have gone away,” said the first senior GOP Senate aide.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Lindsey Graham are among the few lawmakers publicly urging Trump to restore security details for all officials at risk from Iran. They made media appearances over the weekend but carefully avoided direct criticisms of the president and did not specify which officials they were referring to.
When asked how they thought the message could be effectively communicated to Trump, the third senior GOP Senate aide mentioned Cotton’s recent media appearance: “Senator Cotton handled it perfectly as the messenger, the message itself, and the venue itself,” the person noted in an email.
Though Hook was involved in the Trump transition team’s State Department planning during the campaign, his participation ended after the election. Trump revealed on social media in November that he would not include Pompeo in his new administration, yet neither has publicly distanced themselves from Trump.
In contrast, Trump has accused Bolton of leaking sensitive national security details in a memoir after firing him during his initial term. He’s also suggested that Milley, who angered him partly by apologizing for clearing protesters outside the White House in 2020, committed treason.
Bolton and Milley “are likely a losing fight,” the first GOP Senate aide conceded when discussing why their names were mentioned less frequently by Republicans concerned about Trump’s decision.
In an interview, Bolton expressed hope for the reinstatement of his protection but insisted he hasn’t spoken to anyone on Capitol Hill regarding the matter. He also voiced frustration that some believe Trump’s decisions regarding Hook and Pompeo were particularly alarming.
“That is a problem right there,” Bolton commented. “It’s okay if you remove protection from somebody who’s been critical [of Trump], but, my goodness, to remove protection from somebody who’s not been critical— I think what it shows is you can’t kiss Donald Trump’s ring enough.”
Milley, Hook, and Pompeo did not respond to requests for comment. Esper also did not comment on whether he continues to have his security detail.
Last week, Trump informed reporters in the Oval Office that former officials cannot expect lifelong security protection.
When asked if Trump was contemplating changing his decision on the four former officials or if he would provide further explanations for it, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes stated that Iran should recognize it would face “devastating consequences” if it attacked an American while Trump is in office.
Congressional aides informed about the Iranian threat express doubts about this certainty.
That “assumes that the folks who run things in Tehran have 100 percent control over their proxies,” stated another senior congressional aide briefed on the Iranian threat. “They almost certainly don’t.”
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
