John Bolton, an incredibly ruthless neoconservative warmonger who seemed eager to use the US military to attack and invade any and all perceived enemies of the US, especially if they were also designated enemies of Israel, has been fired by Donald Trump from his influential position as National Security Advisor.

As is the case with this chaotic administration, there are conflicting reports of why he was fired and how. Bolton claimed he resigned while Trump insists he was fired. The days are long gone when firings were papered over with fake expressions of regret.

Trump tweeted: “I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service.”

He added: “I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”

Bolton instantly tweeted back: “I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.’”

Bolton’s dismissal was unexpected in the White House, which about an hour earlier had announced a press conference involving Bolton and the secretaries of state and treasury.

Bolton had taken consistently hawkish positions on major foreign policy issues that had frequently clashed with Trump, who had sought close relationships with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un.

What does it mean about US policy? Who knows? There seems to be no coherent policy, just the whims of an impulsive and erratic president. It may be that Trump just got sick of seeing Bolton’s walrus mustache up close, since it is known that he likes people to be clean shaven.

But one fewer ultra-aggressive warmonger who has the ear of the president has to be considered a positive development.