President Donald Trump slammed his former national security adviser John Bolton on Wednesday, bashing his former top aide after he reportedly contradicted a key element of the president's impeachment defense in an upcoming book.
Trump suggested that if Bolton, a conservative hawk, were still in the White House, the U.S. "would be in World War Six by now."
Those comments came hours after another tweet in which Trump asked: "Why didn't John Bolton complain about this 'nonsense' a long time ago, when he was very publicly terminated."
Bolton asserts he was not fired.
Trump continued: "He said, not that it matters, NOTHING!"
Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that according to a manuscript of Bolton's book, Trump told Bolton in August that nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine would not be released until the country provided all of the information it had in connection to the investigations of Democrats the president sought. The manuscript has not been seen by NBC News.
That reported conversation between the two men in which Bolton claims the president linked Ukrainian aid and the investigations contradicts the president's impeachment defense, as Trump and allies have said the hold on military aid and investigations were not linked. Meanwhile, Trump's defense team has argued that "not a single witness testified that the president himself said that there was any connection between any investigations and security assistance, a presidential meeting or anything else."
Trump said he "NEVER" had such a conversation with Bolton. In an interview with "CBS This Morning" that aired Wednesday, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani called Bolton a "back-stabber" who "should not testify" before the Senate.
Read More...
Get the Exclusive
11.27.2024