Former national security adviser John Bolton’s memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” is scheduled to be released March 17, according to a posting for the book that went live Sunday night.
According to the NY Times, Bolton claims in the book that the President tied Ukraine aid to an investigation of the Bidens and Democrats who attempted to interfere in the 2016 election.
NSC ENEMIES OR BOLTON
The timing of a leak last night, published in the NY Times, coincides with the start of the President’s defense. It also comes as the impeachment trial is wrapping up.
The attorney for former National Security Adviser John Bolton said it was leaked by the NSC. There are hundreds of Obama holdovers at the NSC and Lt. Col. Vindman’s brother.
Army Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, a lead NSC ethics lawyer and the brother of impeachment witness Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, is in charge of reviewing materials by current or former NSC officials in the prepublication review.
It is also possible Bolton’s publishers leaked it to time with the Amazon pre-sales page going live last evening.
The New York Times reported about the leaked manuscript of the book that contained alleged details about an August exchange where President Trump told Bolton he would not lift a freeze on security aid for Ukraine until the country agreed to assist in investigations into his political rivals.
That’s according to the Times, an unreliable newspaper. However, Bolton has not denied it.
A summary of the book posted on its Amazon page describes it as a “substantive and factual account of [Bolton’s] time in the room where it happened” during his 519 days as Trump’s national security adviser.
The book’s release could be affected if the White House tries to block publication of certain aspects.
The Section That Hurts President Trump
The New York Times reported Sunday evening that Bolton writes in the manuscript of a meeting with Trump in which the president said he wanted to continue a freeze on nearly $391 million in security aid for Ukraine until the government there agreed to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats involved in 2016 election interference.
That contradicts the President who has said he did not directly tie aid to the probes. None of this is illegal, however.
A lawyer for Bolton on Sunday accused White House officials of leaking details of the forthcoming book after it was submitted to the National Security Council’s Records Management Division to review its contents for classified information on Dec. 30, a standard practice for former government officials writing books.
THE PRESIDENT RESPONDS
The President responded Monday, denying ever telling Bolton the aid was tied to investigations, nor did he complain of it when he was terminated.
President Trump said he is trying to sell books. The transcripts are all people need, he added.
The aid was released far ahead of schedule, he said.
I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book. With that being said, the…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2020
…transcripts of my calls with President Zelensky are all the proof that is needed, in addition to the fact that President Zelensky & the Foreign Minister of Ukraine said there was no pressure and no problems. Additionally, I met with President Zelensky at the United Nations…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2020
…(Democrats said I never met) and released the military aid to Ukraine without any conditions or investigations – and far ahead of schedule. I also allowed Ukraine to purchase Javelin anti-tank missiles. My Administration has done far more than the previous Administration.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2020
As expected, #BoltonMustTestify is trending on Twitter. The Democrats will get what they want, and all of this could be lies.
Bolton’s alleged accusations brought back the calls for witnesses and extending this sham impeachment endlessly. These allegations are also timed with the President’s defense, which began Saturday briefly.
The President’s attorneys will present the full case beginning today at 1 pm.
Watch this brief clip from Fox News:
Brian Kilmeade says John Bolton’s book manuscript being “leaked out” is “more evidence that people within the administration are against the administration.” Kilmeade also says it’s “devastating timing, because this thing was on the fast track to closing out without witnesses.” pic.twitter.com/SytTnCQ53g
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) January 27, 2020
THE PRESS SECRETARY RESPONSE
THE FEDERALIST CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Bolton used Comey’s revenge publishers. Is he on the same mission?
John Bolton is running the exact same revenge playbook against Trump that James Comey used. He’s even using the same agent and leaking to the same reporters. All because he’s mad Trump fired him for leaking and trying to start new wars. It’s so boring and predictable.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 27, 2020
Just like James Comey, John Bolton is trying to get rich off of a lie- and leak-fueled campaign to overturn the 2016 election results. I suspect it will work out as well as all of Bolton’s other wars. https://t.co/z0fe2aMMFn
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 27, 2020
This is obviously book promo coordinated with compliant media, yes. But an additional word of skepticism: these *particular* folks have a pattern of overpromising and underachieving with their “bombshell” anti-Trump book roll outs. https://t.co/xid14bUvmG
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 27, 2020
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