Trump Debated Hiring John Bolton Because of His Mustache, Reports Say

This week, the world mourned as it said goodbye to one beloved mustache, and reluctantly welcomed another—that of John Bolton, Trump's newly named national security adviser replacing H.R. McMaster. Bolton, a hawkish FOX News pundit who's called for war with both Iran and North Korea, has a track record that's made at least one expert conclude he "should be kept as far away from the levers of foreign policy as possible." But for Trump, it was Bolton's mustache, not his support of the Iraq War, that had the president wavering about offering him the job, the Hill reports.

It's not all that surprising that Trump would name a familiar FOX News face to lead the National Security Council, even if most experts consider him "dangerous." What's not entirely clear is what the president has against facial hair. We've known the guy's a germaphobe, but his disdain for lip toupées can be traced back to 2016, when an associate told the Washington Post that even beards are a deal breaker.

"I can’t think of anyone that’s really close to Donald that has a beard that he likes," the associate said.

Maybe Trump has never been able to grow a stache of his own, one that compliments the blond wafts of his hair helmet. But more likely, according to former transition spokesman (and goatee wearer) Jason Miller, Trump is just after a specific look.

"Presentation is very important because you're representing America not only on the national stage but also the international stage, depending on the position," he told the Post. Still, no clean-shaven mug can prevent Trump from sending out typo-ridden tweets, name-calling Kim Jong-un, or being just generally embarrassing while the world watches.

And while Bolton's mustache may have been the reason he didn't get a White House gig back in 2016, it looks like Trump has managed to look past the guy's crumb catcher this time. Though with that logic, it's not clear how Steve Bannon made the cut.

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