Former national security adviser John Bolton reportedly claims in his as-yet unpublished memoir that President Trump sought to tie hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine to his requests for the country’s leaders to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son Hunter.
Multiple sources familiar with Bolton’s writings told The New York Times that Bolton writes that President Trump personally told him that $391 million in aid to Ukraine should be frozen until Ukrainian officials announced the investigations, including one into the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
The book, which does not have a publishing date as of yet, has been submitted to the White House for review. White House officials did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill on the report.
The report comes as the Senate has debated for days over whether to allow witnesses in Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial beyond those that spoke to House investigators in past months.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has pressed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to allow such witnesses to testify, reiterated his demand following news of Bolton’s allegations.
“John Bolton has the evidence,” he tweeted. “It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial.”
John Bolton has the evidence.
It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial.https://t.co/JbazBaYdRU
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 26, 2020
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JUST IN: Bolton book alleges Trump tied Ukraine aid freeze to Biden investigations: report https://t.co/lzSSQIb8Wm pic.twitter.com/AFSmziKxHl
— The Hill (@thehill) January 26, 2020
<p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>On whatever scale it is we measure moral failure, Bolton holding this close to his vest outside of his book draft places him among the snakes which burrow under the earth. Trump and his kind look at Bolton as a weaker form of themselves.<br><br>So do most of us.</p>— PostFactSojournerTim (@PostFactSojourn) January 26, 2020
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Excellent point. They knew. https://t.co/u5CSuzcHFX
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 26, 2020
Would any Senate Republicans like to redo their vote against issuing Bolton a subpoena now? Seems like executive privilege went out the window once he drafted his manuscript. What does his book publisher know that the Senate should?
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 26, 2020
Things that will happen now that we know John Bolton wasn't enough of a patriot to tell the country what he told his publisher.
1. Fox will flame Bolton as a liar
2. The GOP senators will double-down on "too late, should have been in the House"
3. The media will fumble this.— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 26, 2020
Sure, @michaelbd is right that Bolton's book was going to press no matter what Pelosi did. But a Sunday night leak the week before Republicans have to immolate themselves on the pyre of Trump's defense would not have happened without the House moving early. /1 https://t.co/2to4AHXJkN
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 27, 2020
The House moving early means that everything is potentially evidence in a trial, or inflicts a political cost for ignoring it. Otherwise, Bolton would publish, House Intel would have issued a subpoena, and Bolton would have said "GFY, buy my book." This is far more damaging. /3x
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 27, 2020
Agree, but @AmbJohnBolton doesn't even have to testify yet. He could do his patriotic duty, stand in front of a mic, and say: "In the interest of national security, I cannot let Trump lie about this. He did what he is accused of doing. I will say so under oath." Why won't he? https://t.co/RQ9cjYp7Kb
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 27, 2020
Exactly. The House moving is what got everything else moving. And Pelosi held the articles just long enough. (Both are moves I wasn't sure were good ideas, but apparently Pelosi is better at Speakering than I am.) https://t.co/I52klRnUOC
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 27, 2020
This seems sort of … high crimey and misdemeanory. https://t.co/HnqoL9scjR
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 26, 2020
A DOJ Official tells CNN that Bolton during this period called Barr to complain about Rudy Giuliani, telling AG Barr that Giuliani was acting like a secretary of state, and behaving like attorney general,which was causing confusion about official US government policy. @evanperez
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) January 27, 2020
Seems to me that if you don’t think Bolton should be a witness it’s simply because you want to protect Trump more than anything else. https://t.co/oXnGfrSaHS
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 27, 2020
I would love to read an insidery piece on the WH legal team’s Sunday night. Just putting the finishing touches on their arguments, after a successful Saturday, and then the Bolton story drops like a Babe Ruth candy bar in the Bushwood swimming pool.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 27, 2020
To quote @JonahDispatch, “This is a guy who swims moats with a knife clenched in his teeth” https://t.co/SQeLdgIgQQ
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) January 26, 2020
2/ This Bolton information is previously unheard, entirely relevant, directly makes the president’s direct command of the scheme of illegal extortion apparent.
Unless you vote to demand it, you’re not Senators.
You’re co-conspirators.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 27, 2020
4/ The McConnell strategy depends on a swift march, strangling the truth, and praying for amnesia.
It’s a great pre-internet, pre-social media strategy.
All of this is forever, Senators.
You may as well tattoo “No Ragrets” on your foreheads. pic.twitter.com/sWlQzRhQZL
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 27, 2020
"Bolton also described..Pompeo’s private acknowledgment to him..that Giuliani’s claims about Yovanovitch had no basis and that Giuliani may have wanted her removed because she might have been targeting his clients who had dealings in Ukraine as she sought to fight corruption."🧐 https://t.co/3Co8pWa8YH
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) January 27, 2020
BREAKING: Statement from Bolton's lawyer Chuck Cooper. Story TK. pic.twitter.com/u3JOV7l5dD
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) January 27, 2020
And here is the letter Cooper sent to NSC: pic.twitter.com/sqZwdbcoTp
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) January 27, 2020
McConnell told Fox weeks ago he was synced up 24/7 w/WH counsel’s office on DT’s acquittal- WH counsel typically reviews manuscripts. When Mitch marched his caucus over the public opinion cliff on witnesses + docs he likely knew Bolton would obliterate DT’s impeachment defense. https://t.co/HzUR0XwAYl
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) January 27, 2020
Excellent point that WH counsel Cipollone knew about the contents of the Bolton manuscript explicitly linking the aid hold to investigations. What else does he know? https://t.co/DMexLNBER6
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) January 27, 2020
Think I now know why Bolton wants to testify. It removes motive for Trump to block release of Bolton's book. So House subpoena him if Senate doesn't. It gets the truth out.https://t.co/CapcFSzzDi
— Jill Wine-Banks (@JillWineBanks) January 27, 2020
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