John Bolton blasts Trump policy on North Korea human rights violations

Former national security adviser John Bolton took a shot at the Trump administration for blocking the UN Security Council from meeting to discuss North Korea's human rights violations.

This is the second year in a row the administration has blocked the meeting in an apparent effort to smooth diplomatic relations between the U.S. and North Korea, but Bolton strongly criticized the move, reported Axios.

"Maximum pressure against North Korea’s nuclear program requires mobilizing the widest possible support," Bolton tweeted. "Kim’s repression of his people, terrorist activities, and pursuit of WMD’s all warrant the fullest scrutiny. We should take the lead, not obstruct other nations."

Bolton, who was ousted from the White House in August by President Donald Trump, tagged Axios reporter Jonathan Swan in the tweet, after he had requested the former national security adviser's comments in a previous Twitter post.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been trading insults in public ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline Kim had set for the U.S. president to lift sanctions and make other concessions.