The hawkish John Bolton – for bombing Iran and North Korea – has been announced as HR McMaster’s replacement for National Security Adviser, a post which requires no Senate confirmation. He was for the Iraq attack on Saddam Hussein and still thinks it was a good idea. He is a frequent Fox News commentator who has impressed Trump with his appearances; though he differs on Putin whom he distrusts and on free trade. Known for his intelligence, stubborn ideology, rudeness, arrogance and contempt for those who questions his views, he has been described as “stunningly impolitic”.
Born 20 November 1948, he has an intense late Scorpio Sun with Mercury also in Scorpio square Pluto, which will give him a forceful way of arguing. He’s also got a volatile, overly-excitable Mars in outspoken Sagittarius opposition Uranus. This latter sits on top of Trump’s Sun opposition Moon, so he’ll either irritate Trump or provoke him into wild decisions and actions.
Their relationship chart (without one birth time) is friendly with a composite Sun Venus Mercury; though there is also an unstable composite Uranus which is inconjunct Jupiter and trine Mars.
Bolton’s chart is looking surprisingly stressed and undermined this year for a man who has just been handed a prized job. He’s got Solar Arc Mars opposition his Saturn around now which is usually a major setback; a panicky-failure Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Mars and a totally deadlocked Solar Arc Saturn square Pluto. Plus a couple of undermining Neptune transits to midpoints till early 2019; and stuck/infuriated tr Pluto square Mars/Pluto 2018/2019.
He takes over on 9th April, assuming 12 am, which is a very aggravated chart with Mars Saturn conjunct; with Sun square Mars and Pluto and Uranus square Pluto (and Moon). Not a trip he’ll enjoy.
Just a reminder from a previous post – Trump’s relationship charts with both Republican charts, 22 Feb 1856 and 28 Feb 1854, are moving into rocky territory. On the 1856 one – really from now, but peaking from April 11th to late month, and repeating early 2019 with tr Uranus in a disruptive conjunction to the composite Sun and then Mercury. On the 1854 – tr Uranus conjunct the Sun this July and trine Mars, repeating Sept/Oct and early next year, so much the same.
Pic of John Bolton by Michael Vadon.