U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton exits Trump administration

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has resigned upon his request.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton answers journalists questions after his meeting with Belarus President in Minsk on August 29, 2019. [File photo: AFP/Sergei Gapon]

Trump said he asked Bolton for his resignation Monday night, and received the resignation Tuesday morning.

"I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation," Trump tweeted.

Bolton disputed Trump's tweets, saying he had offered his resignation Monday night, but Trump told him "let's talk about it tomorrow."

Bolton was later quoted by Fox News as saying: "Let's be clear, I resigned."

White House Spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters that Trump and Bolton "didn't align on many issues."

Bolton's "priorities and policies just don't line up with the president," Gidley said.

In a press briefing, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said Trump and Bolton had major differences of opinion on the war in Iraq.

In this file photo taken on April 9, 2018, US President Donald Trump shakes hands with National Security Advisor John Bolton during a meeting with senior military leaders at the White House in Washington, DC. [File photo: AFP/Nicholas Kamm]

Trump said he will be naming Bolton's successor next week. Deputy National Security Advisor Charles Kupperman will serve as acting national security advisor in the interim.

Bolton's exit was made public hours after the White House said he would participate in a press briefing alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Mnuchin Tuesday afternoon.

Republican senators had mixed response to Bolton's departure. Mitt Romney of Utah said it was "an extraordinary loss for our nation and for the White House," while Rand Paul of Kentucky said "the threat of war worldwide goes down exponentially" with Bolton out.

Bolton, 70, came to the position in April 2018, and has since become known as a hawkish figure in the Trump administration who advocated for tough foreign policies, especially in regard to Iran and Afghanistan.