The news that Donald Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton says that Trump definitely wanted the military aid to Ukraine withheld until he got a public declaration of an investigation into Joe Biden’s son has fallen like a bomb on Republicans who had been claiming, against all evidence, that there was no such attempt at extortion and that all the charges were based on hearsay and suppositions. It was pretty obvious that Trump has been lying and that the Republicans were covering it up. But Bolton’s charge is hard for them to ignore because his is first hand testimony and by someone with unimpeachable right-wing credentials.
Trump of course is calling the claim a lie but the problem for him and Republicans is that Bolton is a rabid, warmongering, neoconservative right-winger, the kind of person beloved by Republicans and not easily dismissed as an anti-Trump partisan. But they will try. likely by suggesting that he is embittered by being fired by Trump and thus is trying to get revenge.
Bolton’s charge was made in a draft of a book that he had submitted to the White House for clearance, as is the norm with people who have had access to classified information. Bolton, his agent, and his publisher all deny leaking the information. They say they gave the manuscript to the White House all the way back in December and that the leak must have come from there.
Bolton, publisher and agent deny coordination with NYT in joint statement via @hitalie: "Ambassador John Bolton, Simon & Schuster, and Javelin Literary categorically state that there was absolutely no coordination with the New York Times or anyone else…
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 27, 2020
But who? The effort to avoid being fingered has begun.
This latest revelation has thrown a wrench into senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell’s plans to conduct a quick mockery of a trial and acquit Trump without calling any new witnesses or evidence. Now those Republican senators who coyly posture about doing the right thing before doing exactly what Trump wants are faced with an even more embarrassing situation. But cynic that I am, I expect them to find a way to swallow their pride once again. It becomes easier when you have almost no pride left.
I wonder how many tweet iterations it will take until @realDonaldTrump does not know any more who “this Bolton person” is.
Trump has been playing a dangerous game. He couldn’t get over being the king on The Apprentice who fires people. He never learned the maxim that it’s better to have a camel inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in.
Now he’s in danger of reaching that tipping point where the trickle of republicans deserting him turns into a stampede to not be dragged down with him. I still think it likely that he’ll escape impeachment, but am no longer certain.
Didn’t expect Bolton to be that vengeful for being ousted and/or not getting his wish of a war with Iran.
I still doubt it will result in Trump being told he is fired just because he claims to be of the republican tribe.
Everyone who works closely with Trump realizes he is a dangerous moron. Then they just have to calculate how much they have to lose by telling the truth.
I’m sure it also enters their calculations that news of his idiotic ineptitude has been public for quite a while now, and it doesn’t seem to make a bit of difference.
I hope so, but I’m wondering. Republicans may have dug themselves in too deep by now. They’re never going to convince anyone sensible that they’re not fascists and they can’t go against Trump without alienating their current base.
I don’t really see how they’re going to get out of that. They need a way to save face AND to give their constituents a way to save face, as well. Not sure how that’s going to happen.
I simply do not understand the people who agree to work for him. Those who do end up having their reputations destroyed…and then they get unceremoniously booted by him.