Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is reminding Republicans if they choose to speak out against President Donald Trump’s behavior, they will not be alone.
CNN’s Jake Tapper noted President-elect Joe Biden is confident he will be sworn in on Jan. 20 and asked Bolton if he agrees and how worried Americans should be based on Trump’s behavior.
Bolton shared that he is also confident Biden will be sworn in.
Tapper pressed Bolton on whether Trump’s actions are a “nonviolent attempted coup.”
“I think that gives Trump too much credit. I think he’s just playing for time in hopes that something will emerge that allows him either to have a good reason why he’s lost or in his mind, maybe still to win,” Bolton said.
He added, “But I think that simply emphasizes the need for senior Republican leaders to join those who have begun to come out and say Trump’s behavior is inexcusable.”
Check out the video below:
"The Republican Party is not going to be saved by hiding in a spider hole. We need all of our leaders to come out and say, 'the election is over.' We're not talking about an abstract right for Trump to use his legal remedies. We've past that," John Bolton says. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/pUFsiFj7PC
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) November 22, 2020
Bolton explained, “The Republican Party is not going to be saved by hiding in a spider hole.”
He continued, “We need all of our leaders to come out and say, ‘the election is over.’ We’re not talking about an abstract right for Trump to use his legal remedies. We’ve passed that.”
Bolton argued Trump does not have any evidence to support his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
“For those who are worried about Trump’s reaction, there’s strength in numbers,” Bolton said.
He went on, “The more who come out and say, ‘He doesn’t represent us he is not following a Republican game plan here,’ the safer they will be.”
The president slammed Bolton for criticizing him for his post-election behavior, as IJR previously reported.
“John Bolton was one of the dumbest people in government that I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ to work with. A sullen, dull, and quiet guy, he added nothing to National Security except, ‘Gee, let’s go to war.’ Also, illegally released much Classified Information. A real dope!” Trump said.