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Bolton Defends Book: '500 Pages of What I Saw' as Facts

bolton in a dark gray suit and red and navy blue striped tie walking outside
(ABC/"Good Morning America")

By    |   Monday, 22 June 2020 09:18 AM EDT

Former national security adviser John Bolton Monday rejected comments from the Trump administration, and, in particular, those of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said that he lied in his memoir about his time in the White House. Bolton insisted he thinks it's "important that the American people have the facts" before they vote this November. 

"People have different recollections," Bolton told ABC News' Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America." "I've been a trial lawyer and have seen it in different witnesses over time. I put 500 pages of what I saw to be the facts out on the table."

He said he also thinks it's important for people to "look at history" and see President Donald Trump's time in office for "what I hope history will record it to be, as an aberration."

Meanwhile, Bolton said "let's see what they decide to do" when asked if he'd testify before the House if called. 

"Let's be clear, the primary way that we rein presidents in is not through impeachment, it's through elections," Bolton said. "Presidential behavior can be reckless, reprehensible, and dangerous, but that doesn't necessarily make it impeachable. One of the mistakes Democrats made, and they made plenty, [is] the idea that everything is resolved through the impeachment process. They handled it badly."

Bolton added that he still does not know all the information about Ukraine, but he does know that the Democrats made the "conscious decision" to push Republicans aside in the impeachment proceedings. He thinks there were many Republicans who "might have been more open to a reasoned, non-partisan effort."

Bolton also Monday accused Trump of not having any "philosophy" when it comes to politics. He is concerned that if Trump wins reelection, "there's no more guardrail, based on what the Republican Party may think about it."

Bolton added that his biggest fear is that a Trump reelection will have "grave consequences" for the country's national security because the president's policy making is "so incoherent, so unfocused, so unstructured, so wrapped around his personal political fortunes that mistakes are being made."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Politics
Former national security adviser John Bolton Monday rejected comments from the Trump administration, and, in particular, those of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said that he lied in his memoir about his time in the White House. Bolton insisted he thinks it's "important...
bolton, book
346
2020-18-22
Monday, 22 June 2020 09:18 AM
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