Republican Sen. Ted Cruz wants President Trump to pick John Bolton to replace Mike Flynn as national security adviser.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, the Texas lawmaker said Bolton would be "very, very strong" choice as someone who understands threats posed by radical Islamic terrorism and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

.@tedcruz tells @mkraju that John Bolton should get the nod for the vacant National Security Advisor job https://t.co/PpKyty1hah— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 17, 2017



Flynn resigned Monday amid leaks that showed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his communications with a Russian envoy about sanctions before the inauguration.

Later in the week, Trump's first choice to replace Flynn, Robert Harward, a retired vice admiral and Navy SEAL, turned down the offer.

Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and pro-war hawk, was reportedly a contender to be Trump's secretary of state pick, before the president settled on Rex Tillerson.