White House national security adviser John Bolton on Sunday said he’s open to privatizing military operations in Afghanistan following reports last week that President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE is considering the option.

When asked about the idea on ABC’s “This Week,” Bolton said “there are always a lot of discussions.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’m always open to new ideas,” he said. “But I'm not going to comment on what the thinking is. That'll ultimately be the president's decision.”

.@MarthaRaddatz: "Would you consider privatizing (in Afghanistan), using contractors instead of U.S. military?"



White House national security adviser John Bolton: "I'm always open to new ideas...That will ultimately be the president's decision" https://t.co/5DMKk99wXZ #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/oJwiMjIR0d — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 19, 2018

NBC News reported last week that Trump has shown interest in Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s proposal to privatize the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Under the proposal, the administration would replace troops with private military contractors working for a government liaison.

The move would likely present a number of ethical and security concerns for the U.S.

A National Security Council spokesperson denied the report, telling NBC News that “no such proposal from Erik Prince is under consideration.”

Prince, the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Elizabeth (Betsy) Dee DeVosSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report NEA president says Azar and DeVos should resign over school reopening guidance The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - You might want to download TikTok now MORE, told NBC News he is planning to soon launch a media campaign in an effort to get Trump to further embrace his proposal.