Rudy Giuliani
Giuliani, the man who went from being “America’s Mayor” to a literal meltdown in his delusional attempts to claim the 2020 election was stolen from Trump is singled out by Bolton as ultimate symbol of the worst aspect of Trump’s personality: his tendency latch onto those most likely to initiate his self-destruct mechanism.
“I had called Giuliani `a hand grenade who’s going to blow everybody up,’ which still sounds right today.”
Barack Obama
There is really no other way of putting it: in John Bolton’s mind, Barack Obama is the devil. Okay, that is not technically correct since the devil purposely sets out to do evil. In Bolton’s mind, nearly every single policy adopted and enacted during the Obama administration resulted in becoming an act of evil, but mainly through incompetence rather than the malevolence.
The Press
Actually, the press is painted as the symbolic devil in the book. Or, to be more precise, the mainstream press that isn’t known as Fox News. Bolton claims that he doesn’t believe the same thing as his former boss: that non-conservative media is the enemy of the people. He instead dismisses them as mindless untalented attention seeking “intellectualoids” (whatever that is) while at the same time throughout the book accusing CNN, the Washington Post, the NY Times and others specifically of being in the business of attacking conservatives.
The Resolute Desk
The Resolute desk is the desk behind which the President sits in the Oval Office. Already famous, it became legendary with the release of the Nicholas Cage movie National Treasure. It is almost certainly the most iconic single piece of furniture in the political world of America and its name alone takes on great symbolic significance. Bolton repurposes that inherent symbolism with typical Trumpian irony by constantly referencing how—unlike his desk back at this company headquarters in New York—the Resolute desk was always bare. The imagery speaks to Trump’s legendary light working schedule, his rejection of reading reports, and his avoidance of many of the responsibilities of being President. The symbolism is enhanced when writes “the chair behind the Resolute desk” was empty in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cato the Younger
Cato the Younger is referenced by name just twice and even then it is in reference to being a character in a play by Joseph Addison. Historically speaking. Cato is a significant figure because he was a leading conservative in the Roman Senate during the time of Julius Caesar and because he stood out for his moral integrity in comparison to the hive of scum and villainy which populated Roman politics at the time. Though mentioned just twice, Cato’s presence looms large in the symbolic reincarnation of fellow hardline conservative and paragon of virtue among a hive of scum and villainy. At least, that is how Bolton see himself.
