Trump’s lawyers know Bolton’s testimony would be devastating
Search the transcript of Saturday’s impeachment trial, as President Trump’s lawyers began their opening arguments, and you’ll see there’s a name nowhere to be found: John Bolton, the former national security adviser.
The president’s lawyers made no mention of him. And now there’s no need to speculate why. Because the news about what’s in Bolton’s forthcoming book is out — and it shows that his testimony would be devastating to Trump.
The New York Times reported Sunday night that Bolton submitted his manuscript to the White House for pre-publication review four weeks ago. Which means, in all likelihood, that at least some members of the president’s defense team have known exactly what Bolton would say if called to the stand. [Continue reading…]
Sarah Tinsley, an adviser to Bolton, said: “The ambassador’s manuscript was transmitted to the White House in hard copy several weeks ago for pre-publication review by the NSC. The ambassador has not passed the draft manuscript to anyone else. Period.”
The pre-publication review is standard for the work of former officials with security clearances.
Bolton attorney Charles J. Cooper sharply criticized the White House for allowing excerpts from the book to be made public, saying in a statement that the pre-publication review process had been “corrupted and that information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manuscript.” [Continue reading…]
Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade (via Raw Story):
“If John Bolton’s lawyers are telling the truth here, and they just submitted (the transcript) in and it’s leaked out,” Kilmeade said, “if that is indeed the case, more evidence that people within the administration are against the administration.”
“Devastating timing,” he said, “because this thing was on the fast track to closing out without witnesses on Friday. Only Mitt Romney pretty much saying ‘I want to see witnesses,’ everyone else saying ‘I’ve heard enough,’ and now this giving fuel to the Sen. (Chuck) Schumers of the world, the Adam Schiffs of the world saying ‘I want a witness,’ and he wants to testify.”