© Reuters/Leah Millis/Reuters/Jonathan DrakeFormer national security advisor John Bolton • Crowd's not buying it
In a press release advertising his new book on Friday, Bolton, who was fired by Trump in September 2019, accuses his former boss of more "Ukraine-like transgressions" which allegedly spanned "the full range of his foreign policy."
Trump was impeached by the US House of Representatives last year for "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress." Democrats accused him of withholding US military aid from Ukraine in an effort to pressure Kiev to launch an investigation into a company that employed the son of former vice president Joe Biden and was accused of corruption. In the end, the military aid was delivered on time.
Now, Bolton is suddenly claiming he is aware of other transgressions and pointing the finger at the House for having "committed impeachment malpractice by keeping their prosecution focused narrowly on Ukraine."
It appears Bolton's conscience got the better of him just in time to include the juicy allegations in his new book — since he had refused to actually testify during the impeachment hearings.
Needless to say, media figures and others quickly erupted in anger over the timing.
"Blown away by the astounding courage of John Bolton to make these transgressions public for the low low price of $30 hardcover instead of at the impeachment hearings," Forbes writer Jesse Damiani tweeted.
"If only there had been some sort of congressional investigation into the president's behavior at which John Bolton could have testified," wrote historian Kevin M. Kruse.
Robert Maguire, a researcher for a nonpartisan government ethics watchdog accused Bolton of watching the country "being corroded from the inside" and then deciding "to try to make a buck off it."
Some accused Bolton himself of "impeachment malpractice" by "not testifying."
Others suspected that Bolton's motivation was more than just money and that he was simply a "disgruntled" former employee who was attempting to get back at Trump for firing him over disagreements they had on foreign policy.
Comment: Clue to Bolton...all presidents calculate their actions with re-election in mind. If John B. wants to look for a self-calculated motivator, he should look in the mirror.
The White House has objected to the publication of Bolton's upcoming book, arguing that it contains "classified material."
When Trump fired Bolton last September, Democrats and media figures quickly rushed to his defense and moved to frame the notorious war hawk as an important figure who could keep Trump in "check." Their love for Bolton soured when he refused to testify — and now it appears he has hammered the final nail in the coffin of his reputation.
Comment: Firing Bolton was one of the shining moments of the Trump administration. No regrets.