Trump Adamant That Bolton Will Not Testify

President Trump continues his game of “I would if I could, but I can’t so I won’t,” with Democrats, vowing that former national security advisor (NSA), John Bolton will never testify in the president’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

President Trump said last week in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he would “love everybody to testify,” including Bolton, secretary of state Mike Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

But he then went on to say, “…there are things that you can’t do from the standpoint of executive privilege. Especially a national security adviser.” Trump then added, “You can’t have him explaining all of your statements about national security concerning Russia, China and North Korea, everything. You just can’t do that.”

Therefore, according to Trump, John Bolton (and presumably the others he mentioned) will be blocked from testifying at his impeachment trial. This despite the former NSA insisting he would do so if he received a subpoena.

Democrats believe Bolton – who was ousted by Trump last September — has key insight into the president’s failed efforts to secure a so-called quid pro quo with the government of Ukraine. Bolton can provide the “firsthand” testimony that the GOP has been lacking thus far in the impeachment process. Despite the Democrat controlled House having drafted two articles of impeachment, without such firsthand accounts, Republicans have said there is actually no case against Trump.

Bolton surprised the White House earlier this week by announcing he would testify at Trump’s Senate trial if subpoenaed to do so. In a statement, he said he had tried to “resolve serious competing issues” in weighing “my obligations both as a citizen and as a former national security adviser” and concluded that he was prepared to testify.

Regardless of what the president has said regarding blocking Bolton’s testimony, there remains significant doubt that he will even be given that opportunity. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has joined other leading Republicans in asserting that no witnesses should be called, and claimed last week to have enough votes to start the trial on that basis.

Democrats need to persuade four Senate Republicans to join them in a vote on trial rules that would allow witnesses, something that still seems a hard-sell at this point.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is finally expected to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week.

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8 Thoughts to “Trump Adamant That Bolton Will Not Testify”

  1. 1mac

    I used to like Bolton, but he was a disappointment. Never a Trump supporter, he should never have taken that job,if his intent was to undermine the President. Now it seems he is only too happy to try to take Trump down given the opportunity. What a traitor.

  2. WILLIAM MOORE

    What is Trump hiding? This is not the actions of an innocent man…

  3. dan

    You watch the Republicans cave to the DEMS, they always do screw them, the House didn’t do it’s job, with that fricken Peloosy…now she wants the Senate to do their job.
    I say at the beginning of the trial as the POTUS for a dismissal of the charges as they are not within the Constitution for an impeachment requirement. Period

  4. Bo

    Trump was given every chance to testify in congress but refused and stopped every other witness to not testify quit spreading fake propaganda

  5. True to form, trump has created obstacles for America not to know the truth, wherever it lies.
    Bolton is not the only one shackled by trump’s so called executive privilege, there are so many others that he denied investigators to hear the total truth. It’s no less than a criminal obstruction.

  6. Ronnie

    Republicans don’t fall for the Democrats tricks.Stand for the truth , from time the people elected president Trump the democrat some of the media wanting to impeach him.The charges they brought against him are unconstitutional And are not crimes !!!
    _______________________ this going sound off the wall for some.But here goes God loud Donald Trump to be elected by moved up on the hearts of the people not Russia or any other country to be Elect Restore America back ##to its greatness and some don’t like that from the time he was elected they was called for impeachment ,We can see all the goods thing he was doing. Did he walk with God I don’t think so but God Seen a man with a heart that he could use’ we can see good things lowers Taxes more jobs, building the walls and stopping other country’s taking vantage of us . The best was making Israel the capital, and speaking Against abortion the left didn’t like it . Same with Moses he was a murderer but God seen his heart and God used him to lead his people the Israelites out of captivity , but we see they didn’t like,Moses. Go read see how they rebelled they wanting a new leader , they didn’t like Moses So they wander around in the desert for 40 years and died without seeing the promised land witch if they only have listen to Moses they would have seen the promise land in two weeks. So please search your heart vote acquittal’

  7. Ronnie

    Republicans don’t fall for the Democrats tricks.Stand for the truth , from time the people elected president Trump the democrat some of the media wanting to impeach him.The charges they brought against him are unconstitutional And are not crimes !!!
    _______________________ this going sound off the wall for some.But here goes God loud Donald Trump to be elected by moved up on the hearts of the people not Russia or any other country to be Elect Restore America back to its greatness,and some don’t like that from the time he was elected they was called for impeachment ,We can see all the goods thing he was doing. Did he walk with God I don’t think so but God Seen a man with a heart that he could use’ we can see good things lowers Taxes more jobs, building the walls and stopping other country’s taking vantage of us . The best was making Israel the capital, and speaking Against abortion the left didn’t like it . Same with Moses he was a murderer but God seen his heart and God used him to lead his people the Israelites out of captivity , but we see they didn’t like,Moses. Go read see how they rebelled they wanting a new leader , they didn’t like Moses So they wander around in the desert for 40 years and died without seeing the promised land witch if they only have listen to Moses they would have seen the promise land in two weeks. So please search your heart vote acquittal’

  8. How soon people forget! Trump did not even have to allow “the talking heads” in the Mueller blunder! He also could of claimed executive privilege at that time like Clinton did because Clinton actually had something to hide. Trump has nothing to hide read the transcript! He is now claiming executive privilege because the rabid Congress ran a illegal impeachment process and now wants the Senate to clean up their mess! (sounds just like a true democrat) This is exactly the right time to call “executive privilege” not because Trump has to cover up something but because in the constitution there is a “separation of powers” in which Nancy Pelosi has no respect for and crossed that line in trying to hold the articles of an illicit impeachment bullying McConnell into running the Senate hearing how “she wanted it” I say call for a dismissal! STOP THE INSANITY

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