Former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in a draft book manuscript that President Donald Trump told him he wanted to withhold military aid to Ukraine until an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, was launched, as The New York Times reports.
The bombshell report comes just a few weeks after Bolton and his lawyers submitted the manuscript to the White House for review, a common legal practice amongst former officials who want to write about their experience in office.
In his upcoming book “The Room Where It Happened; A White House Memoir,” Bolton claims that Trump wanted the freezing of $391 million of military aid to continue until Ukraine helped investigate Democrats such as the Bidens. The Associated Press confirmed the Times’ report.
The report directly contradicts a major defense from Trump’s team in the impeachment trial, which is that Trump never held the aid to pressure the Ukrainians and was only interested in rooting out corruption in the country. The news could ramp up pressure on Senate Republicans to call Bolton forward as a witness.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) responded to the news by calling for four moderate Republicans in the Senate to vote to allow new witnesses and evidence. Republicans in the Senate control the rules of the trial with their majority and thus far seem likely to prevent any witnesses from testifying.
“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,” Schumer tweeted.
John Bolton has the evidence.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 26, 2020
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
Trump and Senate Republicans have long contested that if Bolton were to testify, it should have happened during the impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives. However, when House Democrats asked Bolton to testify and the White House blocked him, they opted to move forward with the inquiry without waiting for the courts to decide on whether he had to appear. Bolton has said that he would testify in the Senate if he were subpoenaed.
On Monday morning, the president continued that line of attack on Twitter.
“The Democrat controlled House never even asked John Bolton to testify,” he said. “It is up to them, not up to the Senate!”
The Democrat controlled House never even asked John Bolton to testify. It is up to them, not up to the Senate!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2020
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
…(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
House Democrats did, however, ask Bolton to testify. But he refused on orders from the White House. Trump also claimed that Bolton is only making these allegations to help sell copies of his forthcoming book.
“I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens,” Trump tweeted. “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.”