Former national security adviser John Bolton spoke out for the first time since President Trump’s impeachment trial ended but appeared to not offer up any new information.
Bolton referred to his upcoming tell-all book several times at an event at Duke University on Monday, saying at one point he hoped it would not be “suppressed,” but ultimately failed to divulge anything of substance, according to reporters.
(Source: MSNBC)
Coming under fire for his reticent responses to questions about his time in the Trump administration, and making frequent comments about his yet-unpublished book, Bolton aired his complaints about the White House review process that he saw as “censorship.”
“I say things in the manuscript about what [Trump] said to me; I hope they become public someday,” Bolton said in the interview at Duke University which was reportedly not allowed to be recorded with audio. “He tweets, but I can’t talk about it — how fair is that?”
Bolton, asked to comment on Trump’s tweets about him, says “Nice try” and says he can’t comment pending the White House review of his manuscript. “He tweets, but I can’t talk about it. How fair is that?” He declined to explain why he can’t talk about it.
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 17, 2020
Bolton on this tweet: “The tweet’s out there. I say things in the manuscript about what he said to me. I hope they become public someday.”https://t.co/rxVlG2DdgM
— David A. Graham (@GrahamDavidA) February 17, 2020
The White House National Security Council reportedly informed Bolton’s attorney, Charles Cooper, that his manuscript could not yet be published as it contained “significant amounts of classified information.”
“Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information,” a letter to Cooper said.
(Source: CNN)
Bolton shared Monday that it was not his “intention to reveal any classified information, but to tell people what actually went on so that they can judge for themselves whether it’s appropriate.”
Bolton, when asked broadly about the president’s Russia policy:
It is “not my intention to reveal any classified information but to tell people what really went on so they can judge for themselves whether it was appropriate.”— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
“I really hope it is not suppressed,” he added about his book.
The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations cited “the prepublication review process and the threat of possible legal action by the executive branch” as reasons why he would not just share what he knows, though he was not subpoenaed to testify in the Senate impeachment trial of the president.
CNN’s Vivian Salama reported that Bolton spoke on foreign policy issues in general.
Bolton on Iraq policy: I believed the best approached was to return authority to the Iraqs as much as you can, as early as you can. “It’s a little smart ass but I would give them a copy of the Federalist Papers and wish them good luck.”
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
Bolton on the death of Iranian Gen. Soleimani: “He deserved exactly what he got. The only quibble I have is that it should have happened sooner.”
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
Peter Feaver jokingly asks Bolton if North Korea didn’t come up in his job interview with Trump.
Bolton declined to comment on his discussions with Trump about North Korea before joining the administration, saying, “part of this is not part of the pre-publication of my book”— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
Bolton was critical of Trump’s dealings with North Korea.
“It was perfectly evident it was going to fail,” he says of Trump’s talks w/Kim Jong Un. “There is not a single piece of evidence that the government of North Korea has made a strategic decision to give up the pursuit of nuclear weapons.” He reiterates Libya Model comparison https://t.co/YSLgXdiE8b
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
He was asked about the Helsinki summit and sparked groans from the audience when he pushed his book again.
Bolton, asked what it was like to staff Trump’s meeting with Putin in Helsinki in 2018, says: “To pursue the right policies for America, I was willing to put up with a lot.”
“I’m not asking for martyrdom,” he adds. “I knew, I think I knew, what I was getting into.”
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 17, 2020
Feaver: What was it like to staff the meeting in Helsinki:
Bolton: “I could read a chapter form my book here and give you the answer to that question.”
Audience groans
— David A. Graham (@GrahamDavidA) February 17, 2020
When asked about the controversy surrounding Ukraine, Bolton would only refer to “sprinkles” on an ice cream sundae.
Bolton: For all the focus on Ukraine & impeachment trial: to me there are portions of the manuscript that deal with Ukraine – I view that as the sprinkles on an ice cream Sunday, in terms of the book.This is an effort to write history…We’ll see what happens with the censorship”
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
He further eluded revealing much when asked if he agreed with Trump’s assessment that his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last year was “perfect,” saying ‘you’ll love Chapter 14.”
Asked if he agrees with President Trump that his call with Ukrainian President Zelensky was perfect, Bolton replied, simply: “You’ll love Chapter 14.”
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 17, 2020
Feaver reads audience Q: Do you agree that the Zelensky call was perfect?
Bolton: “You’ll love chapter 14.”
— David A. Graham (@GrahamDavidA) February 17, 2020
CNN’s Anderson Cooper slammed Bolton for “continuing to tease, not tell” anything about his time in the Trump administration.
(Source: CNN)
“He actually teased Chapter 14 of his book today but didn’t actually say anything of substance,” Cooper noted.
Many reporters and liberals hoping to get more dirt on Trump agreed that the anticipation to hear from Bolton was only met with disappointment.
More than 1,000 people gathered in a Duke University auditorium to find out whether John Bolton, whose leaked manuscript threatened to upend the Senate impeachment trial last month, was finally ready to tell all.
He wasn’t.
https://t.co/GKFEFZo77p— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 18, 2020
I think I’m not alone when I say to @AmbJohnBolton: You missed your chance to make a difference. History called and you passed. Now shut it and go away.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) February 18, 2020
#BoycottBoltonsBook Too little, too late @AmbJohnBolton By letting greed overtake patriotic duty, you shivved yourself: Both Rs and Ds won’t buy book and now WH looking to censor. Boo hoo. https://t.co/4Woe42fyGw
— 2016Prez (@BSstack11) February 18, 2020
Our democracy, traded for a spot on the @nytimes best seller list.
I hope your book is an epic flop, @AmbJohnBolton https://t.co/KiTeE0uAUT— Christina G (@cdtgre) February 18, 2020
What’s the difference between #JohnBolton and his book? One’s got a spine. #BoycottBoltonsBook
— Andi Sporkin (@AndiGram) February 18, 2020
Dear @AmbJohnBolton: I won’t love Chapter 14 because I won’t read it. I’m not buying your book. You have no ethics, courage, or patriotism. #BoycottBoltonsBook https://t.co/9MAj5IOksl
— Kristin Samuelian (@Samueli1Kristin) February 18, 2020
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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