John Bolton: Trump would sell out Taiwan for a deal

What Trump really wants, he wanted it in. the first term, he wants it now. He. wants to make the biggest trade deal in. history. And that means a deal with. China. Uh he doesn't really think of the. bigger uh political military. implications. That's that's not of. interest to him. He's focused on that. trade deal. When people like you talk. about him being more focused on a big. beautiful deal with China than anything. else, I guess the the people who are the. most frightened on earth are probably. the Taiwanese because their greatest. fear logically enough is if they could.

just get sold out in the name of that. big deal. That you know, if you want to. carry that Trump could sell Taiwan out. for soybeans. Are they right to be. scared of that? They should be scared. In in the first term, Trump would be. sitting behind the Resolute desk uh in. his office, a gift of Queen Victoria to. to an American president at the time. It's a very big desk. He Trump would. pull out one of his Sharpie pens and. he'd point to the tip and he'd say, "See. that? That's Taiwan." He'd point to the. desk and say, "That's China." That's.

that's his impression of the worth of. Taiwan. And it's a it's a bad. misimpression, but it shows he he would. trade anything uh if need be. President. Trump cares about being seen as a. brilliant dealmaker. He knows that. nothing matters to Xiinping more than. Taiwan. So in order to be a good. dealmaker, Trump would need something. absolutely astonishingly large and shiny. and impressive in return. And because. there's nothing large enough and shiny. enough that China would be willing to. give, that's what keeps Taiwan safe. I.

heard that more than once. Have you. heard that? And does that reassure you? >> No, it doesn't. Because Trump believes. the world is what he says it is. Uh it's. not that he lies. It's not that he knows. the difference between truth and. falsehood and consciously chooses. falsehood. He just makes things up. So. if he gave away Taiwan in a trade. negotiation, he would declare victory. nonetheless.