With friends like John Bolton, who needs enemies. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Who knew that John Bolton would stab President Trump in the back.
1
Trump is a liar. We don't need Bolton to know that. He has lied on numerous occasions starting with the number of people in attendance at his inauguration.
14
Bolton's book simply says what 15 other people have said and anybody in their right mind knows to be a fact. Bolton sending printed bound copies to the White House "for review" at this juncture is a completely orchestrated "Up Yours" to His Excellency. Gee, who would have dreamed that its contents might be leaked??? Go figure. It is truly absurd that this is being painted as such a big deal, and that people like Mitt Romney have the gall to say this startling new development requires the Senate to call witnesses. If Bolton does testify he will immediately be ostracized and drummed out of the fraternity by Fox News, and the base will continue to be the base. Henceforth, depending on the ingenuity of our Poet Laureate, he will be either "Lyin' John" or "Bumbling Bolton." Should sell a lot of books tho.
14
Now where in this article do the reporters say they have actually seen the manuscript. They are basing their reporting on what they say they were told by unnamed sources.
In the days when reputable newspapers adhered to journalistic standards, a piece like this, if it appeared at all, would be clearly labeled as opinion/advocacy, not news reporting.
6
John Bolton declined to testify before the House until a court cleared him to do so. Now, having written a book that has not evidently been approved by anyone, he is willing to turn up at the impeachment trial. He did hold back. He did refuse to provide evidence. And the worst part is, he is among the better characters in this play. God save the Republic.
14
It looks to me like the Democrats are just trying to cover up Biden's corruption--there's no other reason to object to Trump asking for the investigation.
3
With due respect to Congressman Schiff, remiding Republicans of their duty was a waste of time. Instead, they need to be reminded of the consequences that follow inevitably for anyone who denies the fact of fact. Trump has lied shamelessly to Red States about coal, wind, fracking, the future of energy, and all the related jobs. He lied to them about the effects of his tax cuts. He lied to them about candidates like Roy Moore. Lies collapse sooner or later and the victims who believe the longer and hardest suffer the most. Red State Senators ought to be protecting their constituents against the likes of Trump, not making themselves willingly complicit in the lies.
I wish Congressman Schiff had anticipated the GOP's show-trial sound bite strategy by pre-empting all the lies they have yet to tell.
15
I’m a proud Canadian who has been fortunate enough to visit 48 of the 50 U.S. States (only Alaska and Missouri are left) over the past 15 years. The one thing that has struck me during my many trips is the honesty and friendliness of the vast majority of Americans. It’s disappointing that a relatively large percentage of the American population are willing to support or tolerate a lier, cheater, con man, grifter and traitor (in no particular order) as their President because he supports their political goals. Past Presidents had their individual faults whether Democrat or Republican but no one has ever come close to Donald J Trump. It’s about Right or Wrong. It’s not a complicated concept. An easy way to judge the character of a person is their willingness to tolerate or support such a deceitful individual who will pander to baser political instincts. Truly a “Sad” situation.
27
Wouldn't it be interesting if the Democrats were the majority in the senate and trump had exploratory evidence but the Democrats decided to block witness testimony and documents? Why aren't trumpeters demanding that trump be heard? Especially since he has so much to say on twitter. Come say what u hafta say on the senate floor coward trump. If Hillary, a woman, can do it then why he can't he? She took it like the man he wishes he could be. Just sayin.
25
What you wanna bet Rudy records everything if he can operate his vehicle adaquately?
4
@Abby I wish, but some how I doubt he knows how to use the record function on his phone.
6
Time for Bolton, Mulvaney, Guiliani, Pence, Pompeo to raise their right hand and tell the whole truth. Time for the unredacted phone call to be taken out of it’s tabernacle and into the light.
19
This seems like 'the' scoop of the new decade.
4
@AW
Until tomorrow. This president is a calamity per minute.
9
@AW
This might be only one scoop in a mountain of ice cream specialties.
Simon and Schuster should release the kraken.
2
Given Bolton's past, I don't trust him. He's taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from a cultish exiled Iranian opposition group known as the M.E.K. This group is intent on returning to Iran and taking power and hopes the US will attack Iran to effect regime change.
Would Bolton cut a deal with Trump, offering to tamp down his testimony in the impeachment hearing or to renege on his express willingness to testify in exchange for a commitment from Trump to attack Iran?
I wouldn't put it past him. The release of Bolton's book draft to the White House might've been calculated to give him leverage. There appears to be enough wiggle room in his printed testimony that he could mollify its effect on the impeachment hearing with some cagey sophistry.
I'd love to believe that John is acting purely out of patriotic impulses in offering to testify, but I haven't that luxury.
According to journalist Mehdi Hasan, Bolton played a particularly devious role in the Bush Administration's invasion of Iraq. A highly regarded head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, José Bustani, was deemed an obstacle in the rush to war. In 2002, Bolton flew to OPCW headquarters in the Hague to deliver an ultimatum:
“You have 24 hours to leave the organization, and if you don’t comply with this decision by Washington, we have ways to retaliate against you. We know where your kids live. You have two sons in New York.”
This is not a man in whom I'm willing to place my trust.
9
Whoops! Trump and team did not hide this one very well. : )
2
@Dave
Add to his criminal propensities the capacity for flashing. He cannot resist giving us a peek at his weakest arguments.
1
“If John Bolton were a true patriot, he would call a news conference and tell ALL now….” Sounds easy but unless Bolton testifies under oath before the Senate (and possibly the House Judicial and Intelligence Committees), anything he would say in a press conference would not weigh much in the Senate’s current impeachment trial.
Bolton submitted his manuscript to the White House for review on December 30 as required of government and former government employees. It was apparently reviewed by the National Security Council to determine whether it contained any classified information. The NSC reviewers apparently found none. Bolton was free to exercise his right of free speech. It will be interesting to see how Simon and Schuster, his publishers, treat this latest revelation in your newspaper and whether they help Bolton get the story out faster.
Bolton has been accused of wanting to make money off of his tenure as chief of the NSC (as though the president weren't making money in office). Perhaps he feels a duty to reveal what he knows about the president’s “deal” with the Ukrainian president. He was there when the July 25 phone call took place. And he listened to the president tell him what he wanted to do in withholding the military assistance funds.
Some people may find Bolton repugnant and mercenary. It remains to be seen whether he will answer a Senate subpoena. First, however, the Senate must vote to subpoena him as a witness.
3
Trump belongs to the Putin - FSB - Russian mafia - Victor Shokin axis, not the Zelensky - Ukrainian reform Servant of the People party - E.U/NATO rules based governance alliance. That's because the former helped him resurrect his financial life from utter ruin and, as the scripture says: "where a man's treasure is (from), there will his heart be also" ....
10
Time to sell the book !
Just add some salt and pepper... to give it some flavor... Nobody’s gonna buy this book of Bolton, the most obnoxious politician ever, who was a factor of destroying lots of countries in the Middle East, applying his politics of hate and anger ...
7
All I can say is ... Hillary predicted all of this.
17
@Susan. Now THAT is a fact.
6
I don't think that getting to the truth even matters to most republicans... they already KNOW he's guilty as sin, but they've been getting EVERYTHING they want for the last 3 yrs, so they don't want to stir the pot. Trump is their ticket to ride, and they don't want to give up their seat.
16
I am at he point of clarity that each item I read regarding this administration, I see Ouroboros. I’m done with the entire lot of Republicans, locally, regionally, and nationally.
18
@Henry H - - - But you were totally done with them ten years ago, weren't you? Twenty years?
1
@L osservatore
No. Throughout my life, I have always attempted to operate with a sense of empathy. I now have zero empathy for anything Republican. If they support the Nazi, they will reap the consequence of truth.
7
@L osservatore
Are you so deeply buried in the pyroclastic flow of propaganda (there are less genteel words for what the GOP has been spewing for decades) that you cannot understand that some honest, TRUE conservative thinkers have finally reached a point of no return with this despicable mob of power-hungry politicians, and their willingness -- no, their lust to keep their wagon hitched to the tail of a man-child whose entire life has been one of self-interested, cunning, lawless, mendacious activity?
And besides that, the Dear Leader is a bully, and as coarse and as ignorant as you can get.
He makes most Mafia Dons look like princes of the realm.
9
Bolton no longer works for the government or Donald Trump. He is a private citizen. How come the government gets to say whether or not his book can be published? Why would Bolton give an unpublished manuscript to the White House at all? If he doesn't think that a regular publisher would publish it, there is nothing to prevent him from publishing it, himself. Did he sign some kind of a Non-Disclosure Statement or does the First Amendment NOT apply to him?
2
@Jackie I think they have to make sure he's not disclosing anything that would be a national security issue.
7
It is all about the money....Bolton wants to sell books.
Watching the trumps lawyers. Patrick Philbin word salad is putting me to sleep.
7
I doubt any liberals will see this comment and agree, but it’s worth a shot.
So, to start, the NYT does not reference how they obtained this information, and from who. No one can confirm this information actually exists and the timing of the article is suspicious in itself.
IF John Bolton has this information then Adam Schiff and the House committees would have known this during their lopsided investigation. Do we not remember Adam Schiff saying they have no intention in having John Bolton testify. Schiff is quoted as saying such. Now all of a sudden, the day before the actual senate trial starts this article just miraculously is written?! Come on now, common sense tells you otherwise.
To hold onto the claim that President Trump was somehow threatened enough by dodo bird Biden running for President that he would ask Ukraine to help swing the election is 100% false, literally 100%. Joe Biden doesn’t have half the following Hillary did... Joe Biden is also one of the dumbest elected officials in our history. Aside from that, there is hundreds of documents, hard irrefutable evidence that he used Ukraine as a money laundering mechanism.
I could go on an on... but it will all come out in the hearing, starting today. This article is bogus, and I just wish more people would take a step back, research the opposing side and see what adds up. Too many people take the MSM’s information as the gospel and nothing else matters when it is literally false information.
2
@MGK The reason they didn't have Bolton testify in Congress is that Bolton said that he would fight a subpoena in court - which would take months to settle (the McGahn subpoena fight in court took nearly a year). The House had testimony of people who worked directly with Bolton and could testify about conversations they had with him on this topic (remember the "I don't want anything to do with whatever drug deal Giuliani is cooking up" quote). Of course his actual testimony would be better, but he is not a true patriot and did not agree to honor a subpoena without a court fight and the House felt it did not have time to wait for the courts to decide.
Someone on the "inside" clearly sent a copy of the book to the Times. Of course they are not going to reveal their source, that's journalism 101.
Biden beats Trump in every poll and has for months. So not matter what you think of him, Trump is worried and has reason to be.
20
@MGK
You need to back off the Republican Kool Aid.
20
@MGK The White House confirmed this information. Bolton refused to show up when the House asked him to testify. Trump is too stupid to understand how weak of a candidate Biden actually is.
The world could go on and on... but people don't want to step back, research the opposing side and see what's up.
6
The position of the president of the United States, translated: "Don't let that dirty rat testify!"
5
How close are we to this: "'Yada yada yada yada,' President Trump lied today."?
4
The Congess has broken the law.
The members of the Congress have sworn allegiance to this country and the Constitution.
Afterwards they ignored the oath and joined the partisan caucuses within the Congess and kept enacting what's in the best interest of those political parties, while turning their backs on America.
It is impossible to simultaneously be loyal to two different groups while serving in the Congress...
3
Suppose it’s true, that it was a “this for that”, transactional.
No funds or meeting until you announce an investigation.
If Biden were not running for President would Trump still be impeached? If so, on what grounds?
It would be unfortunate if those running for President were offered a different set of rules and standards than those of us who are not.
1
If Biden wasn’t running, trump wouldn’t have asked for the “investigation”. Get it now.
22
Ken Starr is at it again claiming Trump's rights were violated because he was not given the chance to defend himself by testifying. Trump was invited to testify before the House and he essentially refused. Ken Starr's bloviating lies brought to mind a line from John Lennon - "The sound you make is muzak to my ears...."
12
The underlying problem is that Ukraine was suspect because it shut down a corruption investigation of Burisma and the Bidens.
@PGB
That is a dishonest representation of fact meant to reflect the opposite outcome. You need better sources.
10
Trump always denies when caught red-handed. He has done this his entire life.
7
As events regarding the impeachment trial unfold in the Senate, Republican senators react to then, and the media do fact-checking, it is becoming beyond argument that the president is guilty of both charges and that Republican senators' reactions are merely superficail knee-jerk attempts to avoid disgrace.
7
The future of the Republic depends on a loony right-wing militarist behaving with integrity about his own complicity in Trump's foul schemes.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans continue to insist, "We don't need no stinkin' witnesses!"
8
The untold story is:
The draft book was given to the White House for a security review.
Proper protocol would dictate that the White House would keep track of who had access to the book for the review.
The book got leaked to the New York Times. Was this an authorized leak or an unauthorized leak? In either case, why?
Will someone in the White House or National Security Council staff be looking for a new job soon?
3
@johnathan swift
Thank god for leakers, and what difference would it make the damage is done to Trump, thank god.
5
Now Alan Dershowitz will be upset because his “brilliant” and “scholarly” presentation at the Impeachment trial will get overshadowed by the Bolton bombshell.
Poor Alan. He tries so hard to remain relevant and to be in the limelight and all he gets is derision and humiliation (mostly self-inflicted).
17
@S Jackson
Dershowitz made his name getting OJ Simpson, and Epstein off, he’s not a constitutional scholar, he’s never argued a constitutional law case EVER. Which makes him uniquely unqualified.
13
@James,
He’s not a constitutional scholar but he plays one on TV. :)
7
@S. Jackson
Donald Trump was not a successful businessman, but he attempted to play one on TV
6
This is typical Schiff. Insinuate and make all kinds of accusations. Then claim they cannot possibly wait to get the facts.
1
@AACNY
We know the facts, we just need the witnesses to cooborate the truth. Just because the evidence is obstructed does not prove innocence. Trump might get off, but the truth needs to be heard for the sake of the nation.
3
@AACNY
This is typical AACNY. Insinuate and make all kinds of accusations. Then claim that the other side is too ignorant even to understand the facts.
2
Trump said it didn't happen, and he would not tell a lie, so you must believe him.
Now I have some beautiful mountain property in Kansas for just $20.00 an acre. . . .
6
We should not believe anything this traitor, John Bolton, puts in a book. He is a disgrace to our nation and is putting his own interests before our country. If this book is ever published which is unlikely now, hopefully it will not become a best seller. He wants to make a name for himself but he will be remembered for his lack of honor to his country. What a terrible legacy to have to life with. Money means more to him than integrity. Shameful.
LOL! Sub “trump” for “Bolton” in your statement and you’d have point.
8
What more evidence, GOP?
Have you no decency, in the light of day?
4
Senate Republicans got themselves a big problem---they are so scared out of their wits that they are near frozen into going down with Trump’s ship. They are too afraid of Trump and his nutty followers to head for the lifeboats. They know that sticking with Trump dooms their continues service in office, however until a bunch of them make a break for it they are shark meat.
4
Shouldn’t the headline on the related article state that Senators were “blindsided” by the White House, which was the prime source of their information, and not by Bolton, who was obligated to keep his book confidential until White House review was completed?
2
You know, I don't see the "deep state" being responsible here. I'm thinking more along the lines of the Knights Templar or the Illuminati...
3
Notice how Bolton's words in this article are not placed in quotes, yet the writer writes: "Bolton wrote." Actually, no, then he did not write any of the words attributed to him in this article. By definition, then, his verbatim words read otherwise, and we don't know what he said, and Schiff didn't find his potential testimony important enough to pursue. And so far Bolton has not commented on this matter of Ukraine aid. Why didn't the Times just get it straight from Bolton? Reading between the lines, Bolton's manuscript conveys less than alleged here. One account said, that Bolton said, Trump "preferred" to have Ukraine do investigations before aid was released. That's hardly a quid pro quo. And even so, Ambassador Sondland, the only fact witness on this, testified that Trump told him to tell the Ukrainian president that he "wanted nothing ... no quid pro quo." (notice the quotation marks, that is exactly what Sondland said.) So this impeachment is still going nowhere.
Wake me when there is publicly available text of this 3rd-hand count of what Bolton supposedly has written.
1
@HMI
I agree we need to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
New tapes and manuscripts are damning for Impeached President Trump.
Just as Rep. Adam Schiff warned senators last week, “the truth is going to come out.” Indeed, more truth was revealed this weekend with two leaks that provided more damning evidence of Trump’s crimes:
First, the Parnas tape. A tape made public on Saturday includes audio of Trump telling attendees at a dinner—which indicted Giuliani associates Les Parnas and Igor Fruman purportedly attended—to “get rid of” U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and to “take her out.” Trump has repeatedly claimed that he has never met Parnas or Fruman.
Second, the Bolton book manuscript. Per the NY Times, a leaked manuscript of John Bolton’s forthcoming book alleges that Trump ordered Bolton, his then-national security adviser, to withhold key military aid from Ukraine until they investigated former vice president Joe Biden.
Republican senators have no excuse not to call witnesses and demand evidence. Their choice is simple: demand witness testimony and evidence, or be complicit in covering up Trump’s crimes.
The Senate is on trial as much as Trump. Will Senators be profiles in courage, or profiles in cowardice?
We will remember which profile they assume the next time they are up for re-election. And those who act as cowards will forfeit his or her legitimacy to serve as a Senator.
5
Surprised that you didn't report if "Bolton claims with no evidence..." Is there a tape?
@Daphne Even when there is a tape (see Parnas) people still deny it.
4
The Congess has broken the law.
The Congess has obstructed self with the divisive partisanship for decades.
The constitutional role of the Congress is to serve the people, not any political party and its leadership.
The Congress should put the interest of the Americans at the pedestal.
The Congress should prove to America that it was more important to send $400 milion to the government in Kiev than to invest that money in rebuilding of water supply infrastructure in Flint, Michigan.
By keeping the money in America the Congress would help the residents of Flint and help the Russians and the Ukrainians find a common interest much faster...
3
@Kenan Porobic Yes, you should ask Trump why he hasn't done anything about polluted water...
Or hasn't done anything, period.
4
@François
Didn't they repeat a thousand times that the Congress allocates the money here in the US?
It means the Congress allocates the money for the environmental protection too...
Or cleaning of the polluted water...
1
To Republican Senators: you all know that this president is garbage. You know it. If you don’t stand up to this virus that has infected your Party and the minds of many of your voters, and assume the risks that that entails to your political careers, your Republican Party and any politician associated with it is dead to me forever. I, as well as the millions of other voters with a shred of common sense, will never forget your spineless-ness in the face of this grave threat to our great nation.
16
"At the impeachment trial, Mr. Trump himself had hoped to have his defense call a range of people to testify who had nothing to do with his efforts related to Ukraine, including Hunter Biden, to frame the case around Democrats."
How can you say Hunter Biden et al had nothing to do with his efforts related to Ukraine? Investigating potential corruption related to Hunter and/ or Joe Biden, as well as any Ukranian efforts in the 2016 campaign are exactly what he was asking about, both on the Zelensky call and most of the conversations Bolton is relaying.
To conclude otherwise requires you to ignore 2 glaring facts.
1) Hunter Biden was paid millions while his dad was VP in charge of Obama Administration Ukraine policy by Burisma, an energy company run by a CEO who had been accused of paying millions in political bribes. Hunter Biden had zero experience or expertise in the energy business or Ukraine. Zero qualifications... millions $$$.
2) Paul Manafort was investigated and ultimately convicted over Ukranian political business deals. He left the Trump campaign because a Ukranian politician released documents damaging to him during the campaign. It is still unknown how much contact between the Obama DOJ and Intel and Ukranian officials (again who was in charge of Obama Admin Ukraine policy?) during the campaign to look into Trump campaign officials and how much of that info was eventually passed on to Robert Mueller. Both of these facts raise legitimate questions.
1
I am still gobsmacked that anyone would have voted for this Grifter. It was all so obvious. I guess the little extra change you got in your pockets was worth it?
18
John Bolton, it’s time to step up and do the right thing! You too, have taken an oath of office. Uphold, preserve, defend and protect our Constitution and our Rule of Law!
“We, the People are the rightful masters of Congress and the Constitution not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow men who would pervert the Constitution.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
How about John Bolton? Are you are patriot or a coward?! Your choice.
3
Someone at the White House leaked the book copy to the NYT and put the cat among the pigeons. Think about those implications.
8
“If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book,” he wrote on Twitter ...
The problem is, when you lie like you breathe, no thinking person will believe you. Ever. The only thing that is fairly certain is that the opposite is true. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
8
Gee, it's certainly a big coincidence that, while Senate Republicans are under tremendous pressure to allow witnesses to be called at he impeachment trial, the New York Times has yet another breathless front page expose, claiming that an unpublished book would show that Trump personally threatened to withhold the aid to Ukraine. Of course, this is all malicious anonymous gossip, as there is no named source for the allegation, and the Hew York Times has wanted Trump removed from office before he was even sworn in, but what a lucky break in timing!
2
Do you really believe that the NYT is manipulating American politics and is responsible for your man being charged, convicted, and about to be sentenced? Can you spare a thought to why Bolton would make up his story and offer to repeat it, under oath, on television, in front of the world. Because the world IS watching. We outside your borders thought that the US stood was a beacon of democracy, the house upon the hill. Not now. Your president is dangerous. He is ignorant and immoral. Why do you respect him enough to defend him?
7
@Richard Except even the White House confirmed the book and its bit of content. Are you gonna say Trump too is part of the conspiracy against Trump?
6
@Richard, you’re right it is gossip, now. But we can clear it up now by having Bolton testify under oath as to what went on in the Oval Office. Or we can wait until the book is published, or he is interviewed on Fox News by Chris Wallace.
Multiple witnesses have said Bolton gave them direction to contact the White House lawyers about the actions and conversations regarding the Ukraine funding. Bolton is not new to government or appropriate and lawful government procedures. He also has a law degree.
He has always been someone concerned with the security of the United States and was aggressive about it. He’s been right of conservative for years. He doesn’t seem like someone who would lie about his concern for following appropriate channels to fund the defense of this country. What are his Republican friends in the Senate afraid of?
6
The keys to the presidency need to be taken away immediately. What will make trump feel cornered enough for his crimes to induce him to further harm our country. Will those around him taunting trump as the second coming advocate for nukes? What other leaders will trump have assassinated? What more damage will trump do to our environment to get even. I already suspect that the Americans being airlifted from Wuhan are being flown to SFO in hopes to give us the corona virus in CA. What’s to keep this vindictive stupid man from going full crazy because he is not far from it now?
3
The orange man denies telling Bolton about the quid pro quo. But he also denied knowing Parnas, denied that knowing Stormy Daniels, denied that our troopers sufffered Traumatic Brain Injury, etc.
You be the judge who is telling the truth!
14
@Sawa
Thank you for this comment.
Yes, and it is not only the 34 who suffered from the Iranian ballistic-missile strike.
"More than 413,000 service members since 2000 have experienced brain injuries from a variety of causes, according to the Pentagon’s Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Mr. Trump owes it to them — and all the brave men and women who put their lives and health at risk for the country — to correct his comments and make clear that brain injuries must be taken seriously."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/traumatic-brain-injuries-arent-just-headaches-mr-trump/2020/01/25/066195f6-3edc-11ea-8872-5df698785a4e_story.html
Is it too much to ask that American defense forces are used sparingly and treated appropriately? I don't think so.
6
Ken Starr?
Typical ....
2
There are a great deal of references to Republicans behind the scenes declaring loyalty to Trump, to the point of not upholding their oath of office, while he continues to pile on more layers of deceit and threats. New revelations are appearing at an alarming rate. What is most disturbing is that they allow themselves to be used by the President, who is the least loyal of all...to fellow Republicans, constituents and the nation.
6
Watch the interview of Tom Cotton from “Face the Nation” yesterday on CBS. I don’t understand how he says theses things with a straight face.
3
Investigation into the Democrats, including the Bidens. What does he mean? What in particular was Trump referring to? In including the Bidens with the Democrats rather than the other way around was Trump referring to Ukraine's involvement, at Democrat instigation, or Obama, in election interference with the Bidens as the proof of this particular pudding. Or was it as the Democrats hope proof of Trump doing what Ted Kennedy tried to do to Reagan with the Russians.
It's been awhile since I watched "A Face in the Crowd" starring Andy Griffith and directed by Kazan.
I think a viewing of that prophetic story is now due.
1
Brilliant play on part of White House! Most controversial parts of book are going public before impeachment trial ends. There is no chance that this information or any other will lead to Trump's removal from office. Bolton's book will most likely not make the best seller list having very little negative impact and possibly a positive impact on his election chances. Once again, the media and the Dems are outplayed. Arghh.
Shouldn’t Senator Ron Johnson have to recuse himself as a juror; since he had conversations with the president about this matter? I served as a juror on a “life without the possibility of parole” trial, which took 3 months, and we excused 2 jurors for having information not even directly related. How can he be impartial?
6
@Cjohn - Perhaps. But if we are going to go there, let's go there for both Republicans and Democrats. Sanders and Klobuchar and Warren probably need to recuse themselves as well, simply because they can possibly directly benefit from a "guilty" verdict. Depending on where we are going to draw the line, we may well have a completely empty chamber sitting in as jurors, as all of them belong to political parties (well, maybe not Angus King, right?) that have a strong vested interest in the outcome.
1
Yay there’s a book! We don’t need the testimony.
Even if the Senate does not call witnesses, the public has all the information needed to make a decision at the ballot box.
5
This is deja vu all over again. Just like the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. We have another episode of "Congress Spins Its Wheels" where Congress just spins its wheels, dithering and blathering, instead of moving forward.
Once again things were looking good for the president when at the last moment a new witness came forward with incredible news that saves the Democrats. What excitement!
This time the cast of characters is a little different. Playing the part of Christine Ford, we now have John Bolton. Playing the part of Jeff Flake, we now have Mitt Romney.
There was a happy ending for Brett Kavanaugh. He was (eventually) confirmed and now sits on the Supreme Court for his second year. What will happen to Donald Trump? Will he be removed from office? Will he cruise to re-election this fall?
Stay tuned for even more exciting episodes of "Congress Spins Its Wheels"!
4
Has an extraordinary community opportunity amid our governmental chaos presented itself?
Whether Trump is removed or not re-elected some ordinary yet enterprising Americans can be a critical in determining either outcome.
Make Tee Shirts!
Front: “Trump’s a Crook! Is Our U.S. Senator?”
Back: “Please Let’s Talk!
An extra money maker, conversation starter & private info sharing or a learning opportunity among strangers!
Don’t just be anguish & depressed by this uncomfortable external circumstance. Wear this concern publicly about as desired and maybe someone else finds this same mind dialogue burdensome also from a similar or different perspective.
1
@Samuel Owen
Baseball caps in red for Republicans, blue for Democrats and or green for environmentalists etc. might be novel also.
Top: “Trump’s Crooked”
Beneath: “Let’s Talk Why or Not?
Heck, that way Repubs could party identify but show some moral standards.
A fact of Human History & wisdom tells us: One cannot forcefully change another’s sincere attitude. Yet of
equal factual proof is that a person’s earnest attitude can & do change by their own volition. And is why successful advertising & marketing are seductive, repetitive & impactful. Perhaps the close kinship between corporate interests & the GOP makes for the latter’s superiority in messaging over Dems. Decades of detailed experiments, studies and time tested applications.
1
Nowhere in the article do I see a direct quote of what is in the book. I'd like to see it before I draw a conclusion one way or the other. It appears damaging to Trump. But the timing and method of the release of this information follows a pattern that those opposed to Trump have used in the past. (See Kavanaugh, Mueller's report to congress, and more.) And that method has turned often out to be slanted or even outright dishonest when more complete information has come out. In other words, this appears to possibly be a last minute hit job that in my eyes would be more damaging to the New York Times' reputation. But before I can decide, I need more information. What is the actual quote from the book?
1
@JohnnyBoy
No one has seen or read anything in the book. This is all conjecture made up by the "reporters".
@JohnnyBoy
Agree with you 100%, what is truly scary is that your view of this represents a miniscule percentage of the comments here.............
I am diametrically opposed to almost everything Bolton believes in, having said that, I have never sensed there was anything dishonest about the man. However strident and rigid he may be in his beliefs I couldn’t see him lying or obfuscating.
Meanwhile we’re now supposed to believe the person who WAPO now tallies over 16,000 lies or intentional misstatements. This is the result when someone looks at everything on a transactional basis for daily benefit. Sorry Liar in Chief I’ll take Bolton’s recitation of events that he was a party to.
7
In any other time, in any other world, in any other universe, this would be a BOMBSHELL.
GOP senators, already speaking out against Bolton have already shown their hand. Nothing will move them.
As they try to dumb this down to "he just wants to sell books," we say: Of course he does. But he is also telling the truth.
3
Dear NYT:
Another ""bombshell" leak of dubious explosive effect, from another anonymous deep state leaker intent on destroying our president.
The article cites Trump's alleged desire to "continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens."
A careful reader will note (1) this is conclusory and imprecise language, (2) Ms. Haberman does not actually quote from the book (passages are summarized for her by an anonymous anti-Trump leaker) and (3) the book draft itself does not purport to quote the President's words directly.
And even if the summary is accurate and true, it does not establish that Trump communicated this freeze to the Ukrainian president, much less engaged in a pressure campaign or quid pro quo.
Despite all the pyrotechnics, this does not "undercut a key element of his impeachment defense;" it does not show that the President conditioned release of the aid, or linked its release in any way, to Zelensky's agreement to "investigate Democrats including the Bidens.".
And consider: it is absurd to assert that investigating the Bidens would necessarily benefit Trump's campaign, or constitute "election interference."
Do Times readers really believe a Zelensky announcement would be treated as anything other than a Trump cats paw?
2
Yes, he didn't! No, he did! Trump boy's star attorneys claim he tied the aid to investigations while the boy claims he didn't. "Nobody's right when everybody's wrong". (Apologies to Stephen Stills).
1
"Mr. Giuliani had also spent months stoking the president’s paranoia about the American ambassador to Ukraine at the time, Marie L. Yovanovitch, claiming that she was openly anti-Trump and needed to be dismissed."
When are we going to stop treating Trump like some flawed but ultimately honest broker acting on paranoia and ignorance. There is paranoia there, and ignorance aplenty, but neither are major explanations for the Trump behavior in question.
TRUMP IS A CROOK. He needed to strong arm Ukraine, and Giuliani told him Yovanovitch was in his way. "Take her out."
He needs to cover Putin's butt, and continue the fiction that Russian activities did not help him get elected, so he "believes" Putin's denials of Russian guilt and espouses Russian talking points about Ukraine and "the server". This is not crazy belief in debunked conspiracy theories or foolish dependence on the word of Vladimir Putin. HE KNOWS THE TRUTH. He just will never admit it publicly. It's all part of the con. He knows Ukraine doesn't have "the server". He may or may not know that neither Joe nor Hunter Biden did anything wrong vis a vis Burisma, but that is essentially irrelevant. Beyond an innate assumption he has learned from childhood that everyone is skirting the law, or wants to (you just have to get away with it), he just needs for Americans to think something could be corrupt about the Bidens. Sow just enough doubt to get some anti-Trump voters to stay home in November, if Biden is his opponent.
6
The most telling portion of this photo as it relates to this entire disgusting episode is the body language and expression on that naval officer standing by the door.
1
John Bolton is a disgruntled ex-employee of the Trump administration. Of course he is not going to have anything good to say about President Trump. He wants to make a profit off his grievances with the administration. We have seen this scenario before. James Comey did this before him. Where is there loyalty to our country?
1
@KMW President Trump has a lot of disgruntled ex-employees. Businessman Trump has a lot of disgruntled ex-employees and disgruntled ex-business partners. His management style looks pretty toxic.
1
What a shame. No wonder McConnell and the White House wanted to get a fast acquittal and/or rush thru the trial. They knew exactly what was in the hopper as it relates to Bolton's book. Why is it that everyone is always lying when in opposition and only Trump tells the truth (according to him)?? Maybe Trump is always lying and others are telling the truth...just a thought.
4
They'll pulling an Avenatti. Oh look! Another bombshell witness! We must hear them out or it's a coverup! [yawn]
The entire impeachment charade hinges on the audacious fallacy that a foreign country cannot investigate corruption *in their own country* if it implicates US politicians, because that'd constitute election interference. You know it's insincere because that's precisely what BOTH Russia and Ukraine did in 2016: Russia worked with Christopher Steele to fabricate dirt on Trump while Ukraine targeted and dug up dirt on his campaign manager.
The other fallacy impeachment hinges on is the assertion that it's not in our nation's interest to know whether our politicians have engaged in corruption overseas before we fork over foreign aid money, our tax dollars. It's precisely Biden's bid for higher office that makes the question of corruption even more relevant. Which is "election interference," pursuing information or obscuring it?
PS - Another sleight-of-hand impeachment narrative: "Ukraine didn't interfere in the 2016 election [by hacking emails and buying Facebook ads like Russia did]." The media leave out that last part, as if Russia's tactics are the only ways to meddle.
1
Interesting how:
"Hold the funds until they announce investigations."
becomes
"Hold the funds until they investigate Democrats."
Aid provided ahead of schedule to Ukraine.
Ukraine was not a victim of anything Trump; just ask them.
1
The smoking gun has been found.
3
What if Trump lied to Bolton?
Is lying a crime?
Do the politicians casually lie?
You are going to keep your primary care physicians under the Obama care?!
What if Trump wanted to look tough in front of Bolton? What if Bolton misconstrued the comments, especially if the President misspoke as the late-night comedians have proven on the regular basis. Trying to stay afloat by holding desperately to a Bolton straw is a losing approach...
1
I'm not sure Bolton will provide the clear evidence so many (myself included) would like that Trump tied military aid to Ukrainian investigations into the Bidens. The article states Bolton wrote that Trump withheld the aid "until officials had turned over all materials they had about the Russia investigation that related to Mr. Biden and supporters of Mrs. Clinton in Ukraine." Turning over materials (for a US investigation) is different from asking Ukraine to announce its own investigation.
@Lindsey Graham: I’d like to hear from Bolton, Pompeo, Giuliani and Mulveney. Feel free to call the Bidens.
BTW - Your favorability rating is currently 16%.
14
@mjpezzi
Tea Pot Dome was known for the son of an Oil Slick committing suicide rather than admit to CONGRESS he carried a little black bag of Liberty Bonds to the Interior Secretary who gave his father no bid leases on pieces of the Navy's oil reserves...
I'd testify if I was Hunter. He committed no crime and might help define the limits of such posts for folks attached to public servants. I don't like this common practice of rewarding rich folks for being ever connected. I'd prefer corporate boards be operated by wise folks rather than fronts for long cons,and held to account for their no account offices
1
@mjpezzi used to be Biden was graham’s close friend. Including John McCain’s. Then trump ate Lindsay live, gulp.
3
Don't support Ukraine and Russia wins..Sounds like Mrs. Pelosi is right..All roads lead to Putin....
20
Why did most of the Democrat House impeachment managers vote against aid for Ukraine?
From the April 8th, 2018 NYTimes article entitled:
"In John Bolton, Trump Finds a Fellow Political Blowtorch. Will Foreign Policy Burn?"
Quote:
"Some of Mr. Bolton’s harshest critics are those who once worked with him. They use words like “arrogant,” “backstabber” and “disloyal” and others that cannot be printed in a family newspaper."
The Bolton "book" is confirmation that John Bolton is indeed an "arrogant", "backstabbing" and "disloyal" individual.
You can also add the words "unethical" and "profiteer" to the list.
Yet...as soon as he becomes an anti-Trump crusader...he is the Democrats forever best friend.
1
If a person a brought to testify against a defendant, does that guy become the prosecution's best friend? It's not about who is a friend, it's who has information. And just remember, you guys actually liked him yet now you're treating him like he was campaigning against Trump since he's inconvenient right now.
6
Hey John,
When you’re dealing with a criminal organization, you only get to subpoena criminals to testify!
4
@John from CT
You can only be a backstabber if the person you’re accusing knows you did something wrong or illegal.
2
Have IQs dropped sharply since the Nixon impeachment process? This administration is conducting a cover-up in plain sight. We've become numb to outrage but the Republican Senators have a duty here. I guess they figure a head in the sand is better than a head on a pike.
19
@PSEK Yes. But you can't really blame the Trump Administration for using this strategy. A mea culpa probably wouldn't work at this late hour.
At least we're not having to hear how he's new at this, or that he's a businessman, not a politician.
2
I don't know how this will affect the impeachment trial, but even if the President survives it, and get reelected, one has to wonder, given John Bolton's experience in his administration, who his administration will find of quality to fill high-level positions in a second term. The President has a toxic presence, tainting all who surround him, and destroying their political careers. The Secretary of State is a good example of that. He could have walked into a senatorial chair for Kansas, but now is political detritus on the side of that path. This is something for the Republican senators to contemplate in the course of this trial.
10
David Godinez, I don't think Mike Pompeo hurt his chances of being elected to the Senate from Kansas. He chose not to stand for that election, but maybe because he prefers to be Secretary of State over being a freshman senator. A lot more powerful job.
1
no one 'cares' if Bolton or any of the other Trump administration officials-acting or otherwise-are 'honorable men'. What is needed now is accurate (first-hand for the Republicans) information as to what Trump did and why. Even then, the Senate Republicans will probably not vote to remove him from office. They are sworn to uphold a 'different' cause.
6
A primary human need of the members of congress is to remain there by the process of reelection.
Membership in the house or senate is considered an important occupation along with good income, excellent benefits and celebrity which is hard to come by, elsewhere.
We should not be surprised that most members of congress
feel insecure about leaving this stimulating lifestyle .
Finally, this brings us to the republican (majority) senators
who seem to be unable to decide on the need for a few more witnesses.
.
The need is obvious but "Reelection" is standing in the way.
Until we can finally rid ourselves of "Reelections" in our congress, we shall suffer from various forms of dishonesty
there.
If we can't even get witnesses to a trial that is being watched around the world, we'll remain in trouble here in the U.S.
Like most problems, we have ourselves to blame. Most can't stand the idea of term limits which is the only cure for uncertainty, dishonesty
We can't have our multiple term congress cake and eat it too as that will lead to court room trials with no witnesses but more doubt.
3
With these most recent revelations, it appears that the Republican Senators' strategy of a grand cover-up may fall on its face. The public will correctly perceive that Trump and his minions are again obstructing justice by blocking relevant testimony. As the evidence that contradicts Trump's version of the truth mounts, the GOP Senators who side with McConnell will be increasingly exposed as dishonest enablers, putting their futures in the upper chamber in jeopardy. It's about time! Drip, drip, drip...
3
The Walter Cronkite Republican notes the Republican Senators are in an unenviable position. They know that to admit more evidence and testimony would only open a can of worms that would damage Mr. Trump even more. They cannot defy Mr. Trump in this trial because he owns their brainwashed political base, not them.
4
The Walter Cronkite Republican notes the Republican Senators are in an unenviable position. They know that to admit more evidence and testimony would only open a can of worms that would damage Mr. Trump even more. They cannot defy Mr. Trump in this trial because he owns their brainwashed political base, not them.
It's a real stretch to think this happened. No publisher in their right mind would let a draft manuscript be released for White House vetting with such a controversial statement left in. Any book text would likely have been removed with the possibility of exec priv claimed anticipated and edited/rewritten in such a way that it would be palatable for the administration to approve. This is a 100% a book marketing stunt or a political lie/hit job and when the book is finally released anything alleged will have been mysteriously edited out with the refrain that it was just a draft and it was the White House who redacted on a exec priv claim, not the publishers, when in fact it would have been edited out before ever being submitted to the White House. What benefit congress gets from it remains to be seen.
@Bruce
This is John Bolton we are talking about. Of course he would send it to the White House with that stuff in it. Why do you think the White House hasn't OKed it, after a month of sitting on it. Bolton probably figured (quite rightly) someone would leak it.
#BlueTsunami2020
4
@FeministGrandpa... Maybe, but I don't see it.
Simon & Schuster is publishing his book and with a ton a money on the line for the S&S, do you think they would jeopardize those dollars? I think not. JB has no control over the process at this point.
None. He's gotten his advance and stands to make much more based on sales, so I doubt he would jeopardize those dollars either. Sure, Bolton has an axe to grind for the way he was treated, but I doubt he's got it in him to sabotage the books potential. The administration delaying approval on the book content is purely spite I would imagine.
Facts don't matter. The president lies as often as he breathes so his denials were disregarded by all but his legions of followers who believe in fairy tales apparently. The Senate ? Just sticking their heads in the ground because they are a spineless bunch. They are letting the president get away with this because he is one of theirs.. if he were a Dem the sky would be falling believe me. The only question IMM is what will Trump do next ? He apparently can get away with anything.
6
Bolton’s book will be out soon and it will almost surely contain yet more evidence that will put trump in a bad light. Also, there is no doubt plenty more “stuff” to be released in the coming days and weeks, a la the Parnas dinner tape. The Republican senators realize this situation and they surely have a degree of fear as to what the future revelations will do to their reputations and reelection chances. Deep down, no one, not even the most staunch Republican, really believes that trump is anything but an unqualified, dishonest scoundrel.
I feel no sympathy for them. They chose to lay down with the dog and they knew it had fleas. Many of them said publicly that trump was unfit…until he was elected, at which point they simply caved and degraded themselves. Enjoy scratching your flea bites, Senators.
5
Trump has been impeached, but the Senators are the ones on trial, and the American voters will be their juries.
14
The Times and other press members must move quickly against the possibility the White House will censor critical portions of Bolton's book for the twin causes of saving face and averting possible legal action against top its occupants.
If the news media -- both in its reporting and editorializing -- does not provide the information and expert opinions to short-circuit that censorship, it will likely be too late to force an after-the-fact reversal. As always, prophylactics are preferable and more effective than belated lamentations.
2
We should be deeply concerned about the corruption of the Bidens, Burisma and the now disgraced former US Ambassador.
1
@Al. Yes we should. But that does not mean it exonerates Trump, nor does it exonerate the Republicans in Congress for lackeys and sycophants for a corrupt president. That’s what you are advocating for it sounds like.
I believe Bolton was 'anonymous' and that didn't work out, so now he tries with writting a book, and that seems not to be getting the intended results he wants, so what next? Hey John, why don't you do the honorable thing, be a patriot you claim to be, and agree to testify before the house and senate without conditions.
3
From what is said here, I don't see anything bombshellish in what John Bolton says. More of a dud. What about his big "drug deal" comment? No mention of that here.
John Bolton says little (it seems) that changes the narrative. The impeachment by the House still has nothing like a crime to support it.
This reminds me of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. And the Mueller report. The Democrats promise a lot with sound and fury but what they actually deliver signifies, really, nothing.
1
@John Smithson
Please step away from the Faux News. This is actually a pretty big deal. It has silenced the Republicans (always a good thing). They are backing out of interviews right and, well maybe not left.
#BlueTsunami2020
8
Trumps says: "hardly knew the man, i take lots of pictures with people, I can't remember everyone"
1
I have a nice photo of myself with Obama. I wonder if he knows me.
@William McCain. One photo, not many photos and recordings of actual conversations with you? I think Obama would have a legitimate reason to say he doesn’t know you. Trump can’t say that about Lev Parnas, Trump claims to have a perfect brain and memory, the best.
2
Trump is known to bluster so anything he says off the record that is overheard is worthless.
This djt is talking about National Security? I too am concerned about National Security. We all are.
The best way to protect our National Security would be the removal of the impeached djt from office.
7
Who says sports has to have all the fun? For here in politics is the ultimate squeeze play. Any Senate Republicans still willing to stage a mock trial with no witness and no new evidence will be caught on the harsh side of history. When the full facts finally dribble out after their sham trial concludes, they can not claim ignorance, other than the willful sort. The Times front-page reporting on Bolton's book, which is sure to be affirmed now by other news reports, permanently exposes their sham as conscious.
I love to think of the GOP sweating this one.
7
Clearly it would only be to sell the book because Trump has no pattern of deception or utilizing his position in power in government or the private sector to get what he wants. When you have as clean a record as Trump's then everything must be a witch hunt and likely one borne out of jealousy for his phenomenal success.
8
@Glen
I think you left out the /s for satire. Correct?
When I read the comments on the WSJ editorials -- try it, sometime -- I am disconcerted by straight-up comments that read just like yours, above.
(Trying to be helpful -- in case any WSJ readers have strayed over here and are similarly disoriented.)
2
@Glen and @Sharon
Australians get irony!
Considering the individual on trial in the senate, it is not surprising that he is surrounded by questionable characters. That said, John Bolton is at least consistent in his views and is usually a reliable reporter - and sometimes the enemy of one's enemy is one's friend, at least for a while. I and millions of Americans want to hear his report. We demand a full in fair trial including all relevant witnesses and documents supporting or denying Trump's activities. This cancer in the White House must be excised or, conversely, given free rein to finish killing our country's democratic government. It is time for the senate to stand up and be counted, and hopefully, to be counted on the side of the good.
11
@CP -- Twitter sent to @LindseyGrahamSC "I’d like to hear from Bolton, Pompeo, Giuliani and Mulveney. Feel free to call the Bidens.
BTW - Your favorability rating is currently 16%."
3
At what point does the Senate say enough? Trump’s voice has been heard around the world that our ambassador Yovanavitch would “be going through some things” and “get rid of her. Take her out”. Now trump’s own tweets are threatening Congressman Adam Schiff. Congress, Adam Schiff is your colleague and an employee of We the People as you all are. When there is one employee, trump, disrupting and causing daily problems at the office, what corporation would allow that disruptive person to stay on? The answer is none. The disruptor trump needs to be given a pink slip. Give trump the pink slip Senate and let him go on his way to run his businesses with his children on THEIR dime and time.
22
If Bolton were an honorable man he'd tell the American people what he knows. And he doesn't have to wait on the Senate to ask. This very day he should walk into any County Court House, find a Judge, swear in, and under oath tell all he knows about what the President and others said and did concerning the articles of impeachment.
8
Simple solution: Bring Bolton and Mulvaney forward as witnesses. Let them speak, and let the chips fall where they may. To not do so is cowardice. Looking at you, Senators Romney, Murkowski, Collins, Portman, and any other Republican with even a shred of moral courage.
13
@Ted Olson that's fine if you and the Democrats want to do that, but you can't just have your way. If you call the witnesses the House managers wants you must also allow all the witnesses the President's team want. Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, their staff members, other Obama staff members including DOJ officials that may have had contacts with Ukrainian officials during the 2016 campaign looking into people like Paul Manafort as well as all their relevant documents. Because the only way this is impeachable is if there is not valid reason for seeking the investigations into the Bidens and Ukraine's actions in the 2016 campaign. You can't say there is nothing there to be used as a defense, without allowing his legal team to expose valid reasons to investigate as a defense.
In the Bizarro world, John Bolton's book tour would be making the circuit of news shows - with the exception of Fox News. I anticipate that once again, we will be more like this alternative universe (with its alternative facts).
1
The Republicans fiddle while Trump burns the constitution.
17
Mr. Trump and team slander anyone who contradicts him. He contradicts himself. He believes the twitter conversation will exonerate him. It matters not that John Bolton is an opportunist. The pot repeatedly, tirelessly, on and on and on calling the kettle black. He said 'Americans don't care about the Ukraine'. Right now we have a shorter list...the Mexicans, the journalist, the downing of a plane, American soldiers, and the many who are not officially on lists, because of policies and bias held by this man.
3
Hey republican senators, don't worry about voting to impeach Trump we're going to take care of it in November for you.
Oh, yeah I almost forgot, you better dust off your resumes, because we're going to take care of you in November too.
13
@SteveFromBoston If we wait until the election Trump will continue to cheat to win even more brazenly. We can't wait.
2
EVERY impeachment that results in removal from office “undoes” the prior election.
Impeachment is based on conduct while in office not known at the time of election.
This silly Cipollone argument is contorted and on its face circular.
Dismiss, distort, distract....dissemble
8
Guiliani, Cipollone, and Sekulow. A rival firm to Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.
13
Waiting for the huge book orders to come rolling in from the RNC and RNCC to pump it up on the NT best seller list. Oh. No? Guess they are waiting for Rudy's book.
5
In classic Republican fashion, today they are asking who at the White House had access to Bolton’s manuscript. Just like mobsters they don’t care about the lies or the laws broken ; all they care about is who ratted them out.
10
Hopefully Bolton will get on all the news shows and keep talking, for months and months.
4
Fortunately, elections are not decided by the opinions expressed by consumers of MSM “news”.
1
@Dr. John Do you mean „voters“?
5
@Katrin
Wisconsin is already lost to Trump.
Bolton should voluntarily come forth and testify to Trump’s corruption. He could be an American hero that saved our nation from certain death as a democracy.
4
Oh Larry, where are you when we need you most? The dysfunctional mess in which find ourselves is so ripe for my friend and former colleague Dr. Eisenberg. The sharp sword of his “metrically impeccable” limericks would have sliced to the heart of the matter - a democracy on the verge of total annihilation.
6
Sure thing mr President, let’s prove Bolton is wrong & lied in his manuscript (as per your accusatory tweet Monday am) and hear his testimony under oath in public so you can be completely exonerated!
13
@Tom G. And why is that a waste of time?
He'll squeal the information in a book to make a few bucks but won't testify unless subpeonad to save the integrity of the Republic?
14
Exactly!
If Republicans say they are not troubled and curious about why Trump would be taking foreign policy advice from men associated with Dimitro Firtash, the Putin connected Russian mobster, they are lying because they are scared out of their wits.
Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that he did not know Lev Parnas, and yet there he is on tape ordering the "take out" of the Ukrainian Ambassador, Maria Yovanovitch, while sitting right next to the admitted Giuliani / Firtish bag man and hearing their advice at the dinner table.
15
@Tom G. Except Trump never cared about an actual investigation, he only cared about a public announcement of an investigation into Biden. He went outside the regular channels to hide what he was doing and when it came to light anyway he obstructed the investigation into why. That clearly shows consciousness of guilt.
2
@Tom Gerosolina
Our presidents have access to the best intelligence available, and yet Trump was recorded asking Lev Parnas, (a man he claims not to know), "how long would Ukraine last in a war with Russia".
That should frighten every American.
2
The Senate Republicans and the WH defense managers have proven themselves nothing more than Trump lackeys. The have breeched their Constitutional duties, they have violated the oath they took on TV and signed their name to pledging a fair trial, and they have acted like kindergarten children while our democracy and Constitution are in threat. In other words they have abetted the impeachment article -- obstruction of Congress -- and took it to the level of a charade. McConnell, you and your Republican cohorts are a disgrace and your so called trail is a sham. The citizens of this country have demanded documents and witnesses. Listen to the people you supposedly represent. Your moral failures will be your legacy as will the damage to our country.
23
Correct me if I'm wrong: even if Trump never tied the Biden announcement to anything, it is still improper if not illegal to ask a foreign government to investigate a domestic political rival. A quid pro quo is not necessary for this to be an impeachable offense,
19
@Mitch4949 The argument (albeit flawed) would be that the investigation would not be around investigating a rival but withholding to ensure corruption within the government is addressed. They would simply deny that the investigation was for political purposes. The reality of course is that logic applies as this is just a circus. They may as well have bears riding bicycles and a big tent set up in the Senate.
4
Yes, look up Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution. Very clear.
Mitch4949, it may be improper, depending what you think is proper. It certainly is not illegal.
Trump lies so much that it requires a very deep and persistent suspension of disbelief to accept what he says. Whether Republicans appreciate how poor a President and untrustworthy a person is Trump, sooner rather than later, remains to be seen.
9
it is already "later" ...the appropriate question is "ever".
5
"President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens".
If that's true then how is it that the aid was released WITHOUT investigations? Obviously it wasn't a condition. We've all witnessed the presidents bluster. It's seems Mr. Bolton's "blockbuster" account is just one more example.
If Ms. Haberman and Mr. Schmidt treated us to further passages of the Bolton manuscript we might learn that there were plenty of REAL conditions attached to release of the aid. Apparently they were met.
1
@timk
The aid money ( although not the entire amount) was released after trump learned about the whistleblower complaint going public. His cronies tried to bury it but were unsuccessful.
8
@tim k The aid was released AFTER the whistleblower complaint leaked.
6
@tim k As those who have been following the news know: Congressional officials were demanding the release of the funds, the Ukrainian government was asking for its release, the date of Sept 25? was approaching which would cause the funds to 'expire', government agencies and the press were aware that the funding was being held-illegally-and time had run out on Trump.
1
I’m curious how many Americans wrongly believe a Senate conviction would result in a Democrat assuming the presidency. The argument by Trump’s lawyers (and some Senate Republicans) about overturning the last election certainly seems to feed into that mistaken belief. So I’m also surprised that Democrats haven’t emphasized the opposite of that more in their arguments, whether in the trial or simply to the press: that this is about one man and defending a system of government. Putting it out there more forcefully that Republican Vice President Pence would assume the presidency wouldn’t hurt and might even help.
7
The Senate has been committed to not let Trump sink on his presidency's Titanic, but at this point Senators would, by continuing to protect Trump, create a far larger Titanic with "The Republican Party" emblazoned on its bow. Trump no longer has a base sizable enough to save him, but the GOP has identified Trump's interests as their own.
Bolton's account changes everything. Either Trump sinks or the entire GOP sinks. Those are the options. Bolton's words will remain no matter what the White House tries to do to negate the manuscript.
8
@Tom Gerosolina
Tom, you seem to underestimate the disenchantment of traditional Republicans and swing voters with the Senate's tactics. Unless the current Senate votes to hear Bolton's testimony, no strings included, the Republican Party is dead in the water. It will have lost all credibility with voters it ordinarily could have counted on, and will be left with mostly the billionaires and the racists who turned to the GOP with the passage of the Civil Rights Acts. The damage will be done beyond undoing.
1
What does Trump have on all of them? I continue to suspect that there is an information gathering service on all the senators, which catalogues details of their private lives, and that Trumpolia is threatening each one of them with exposure.
Call me a conspiracist, but I can't fathom any other reason why some of these senators, who once upon a time were reasonable Americans, patriots, and public servants, even if I didn't agree with them, should be kowtowing to what they know is an act of treason perpetuated on the American public.
11
One thing that he has on them is that as president he controls the RNC and the money flowing into and out of it. Once again it’s a case of follow the money.
3
Trump is sneaky and not like able. But he is not stupid. The “leaks” of information about what he is planning have dried up. Those special sources of information to the media are largely gone. I suspect that Trump has many supporters who have gathered or obtained information about his political rivals and that information will be revealed mention fall. Of course we all want to know what both Republicans and Democrats are doing that is illegal or at least unethical.
2
At this point, everyone knows what Trump did. Bolton knows it. Democrats know it. And Republicans Senators most certainly know it.
The GOP ‘s willingness to close its eyes and ears and protect this most corrupt and unfit of Presidents is one of the most shameful chapters in American political history. And that is really saying something.
20
Right. Trump is afraid if other world leaders knew what he thought of them it would make diplomacy more difficult. As if they don’t and as if he cares a shred about diplomacy. Here’s a clue to Trump: they don’t have a bit of respect for you, including the ones who are using you.
11
The Republican party platform is now corruption and lies. They tasted Trump's heady mixture of selfishness and grabbing any agenda he wanted with no regard for good government,morals and ethics and were hooked.
How can they wean themselves and become respectable again?
3
Everyone is lying except me, implies Trump. How can that be? How can his base believe all his lies? If he gets reelected we're in trouble. This is preventable - everyone get out and vote to remove this con man from office.
7
My hats off to Bolton. It's really hard these days keeping impeachable conduct a secret so it can be exposed only when your new book comes out. So many people fall for the trap of "doing the right thing" and testifying about what they know and they completely ruin their book sales prospects. Bolton really held out and he should see decent book sales.
3
The current administration is starting to panic. They will do whatever they can to silence witnesses, including using bogus claims of "executive privilege." There is so much evidence, but those who have proof of the president's corruption and dishonesty are being silenced.
We the people are still waiting for the truth. It will come out, no matter how hard the "grand OLD party" tries to prevent it.
Apparently they have not heard of Watergate and the presidency of Richard "I am not a crook" Nixon. It was apparent then that the President was lying, and it is apparent now, that the President is lying.
6
Well, it's interesting that the authors can right such a lengthy article without a single direct quote from the book proof that is the subject of the article. Where are the quotes that show us exactly what the book says?
Also, until Mr. Bolton makes any assertions while under oath, there's zero danger of his claims being the foundation of an additional article of impeachment.
So, let's wait and see the actual book and then see what Mr. Bolton says while under oath and on penalty of perjury.
1
now the big question is how GOP senators consolidate the idea that Mr. Trump is above all thugs he controls. Whoever tell the truth Mr. Trump slams him/her and whoever supports him on lies are his heroes irrespective of party affiliation. can all GOP senators sit down together in a closed room and watch all Mr. Trump's public statements in the media including his all tweets? if they do it with an open mind they will not need any other witness. they will find that Mr. Trump is impeaching himself. of course GOP senators' public statements are not fair as well. it concludes we are in a political jam of lies. truth is there but we cannot see it for their vested interests
1
... way to go John!!! I can hardly wait to see you with Joe & Mucka. A true man of principle.
1
I find it interesting to realize the fact that trump's impeachment attorney's have known about Bolton's claims for almost a month, as Bolton gave the book manuscript to the WH on December 30. Did they think this information would never get out? Did they think it would be found out only after the Senate acquitted later this week, when it "wouldn't matter"? Do they have no honor at all?
It's also interesting to speculate on who leaked this. I'm betting on it being a WH staffer.
Now, if only someone would leak trump's grades from Wharton.
10
@Bill Many people 'knew' about Trump's actions. It can't have been a secret that he did these things. He needed help: aides, staffers, officials, to carry out his 'wishes'. No one seemed to be able to convince him that what he wanted was-wrong, illegal, stupid, ill-advised-etc. Our system seems to enable unscrupulous persons to pursue their own ends regardless of legality, or ethics. They don't care about the ramifications if they benefit. There is a conflict between political parties going on-it is necessary to be informed and to support the Constitution and its defenders.
1
Reading all the negative comments from this article about Trump and his gang is no consolation that Trump will lose the election this year. Look at all those people at his rallies who hoot and holler in Trump's approval for every bit of name calling and lying that comes out of his mouth. No matter what Trump does to our nation and the office of the presidency is fine with them. I truly think Americans have a death wish to end our form of self rule and legal system for about the last 200 years and Trump is granting them their self destructive wish. After five more years of Trump and his gang, what will be left? A dictatorship? Maybe when Putin finally steps down (if he does), he'll share the office with Trump.
3
Its truly remarkable that all of these seemingly unconnected people around Trump are all telling the same lie about the Ukrainian extortion effort. Good time for Russia and Fox News to push the “Deep State” conspiracy.
3
Trump Tweet: "I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book."
Bolton: Donald Trump DID tell me that aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats. If Trump denies this, it is only to avoid being convicted by the Senate or not being re-elected.
5
Well just look at the timing of this. Makes no sense does it.
Congress should subpoena:
Bolton, Simon & Schuster,
Barr, Pompeo, Mulvaney, & Perry
3
And also Nuñez who went on an international disinformation tour paid for by Putin but reimbursed his expenses to American taxpayers.
3
Hey Bolton. Trump is calling you a liar. You gonna let him get away with that?
4
The Bolton revelations have caused Professor Dershowitz to make some last minute edits to his arguments before the Senate:
(Delete: Hypothetically, even if) President Trump did shakedown the Ukrainian President by withholding aid for investigations into the Bidens, nevertheless Article 2 , blah, blah....you must acquit.
1
"The submission to the White House [of Bolton's manuscript] may have given Mr. Trump’s aides and lawyers direct insight into what Mr. Bolton would say if he were called to testify at Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial. It also intensified concerns among some of his advisers that they needed to block Mr. Bolton from testifying, according to two people familiar with their concerns."
Though the article doesn't say who the concerned advisers are, we may assume that it refers to White House Counsel, the lawyers with whom Speaker McConnell is "coordinating" the trial. It is possible that Cipollone and Sekulow impressed upon McConnell their fears of what Bolton would testify to, so that the Senate would turn the trial into a cover-up by denying witnesses and documents.
Which leads me to ask, What did McConnell know and when did he know it?
Nixon was about to be impeached, for orchestrating a cover-up of the Watergate burglary, when he abruptly resigned. At the time, Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate. If Nixon could have relied on confederates in the Senate to rig the trial, he might never have resigned and the public would never have known about the tapes.
What's different about our society 47 years later is that Trump's cover-up of his misconduct--the subject of the second article of impeachment, Obstruction of Congress--is now being abetted by Congress itself.
7
John Bolton over the decades has been lauded by Republicans and believed in his testimonies in many places by them including before Congress. So now the GOP says they don't believe him now when it does not go along with their rush to acquit Trump? As a Democrat I personally do not care for John Bolton as do most Democrats but that is a plus or should be before the GOP Senate.
7
Foreign aid is not free money. We extend it to other countries in return for some consideration on their part. It is the responsibility of the president to insure that the foreign country is complying with the agreements that we have in place. The US signed a treaty with Ukraine that requires them to assist us in investigating potential corruption involving US citizens in Ukraine. Joe Biden was caught on video not only admitting to, but bragging about using his office to blackmail the president of Ukraine by withholding a billion dollars in that same foreign aid if a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating his son and his company was not fired. Millions of Americans are extremely curious why Biden has not been charged with a crime when we have solid video evidence. Presidents Trump and Zelensky are required by law and by treaty to investigate this. The president did nothing wrong.
4
@Brian McIntosh
Incorrect, Biden had international backing and the statement you refer to was made on national television.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/03/what-really-happened-when-biden-forced-out-ukraines-top-prosecutor/3785620002/
9
What are you talking about?! This isn’t about Biden. That has been investigated and discredited. Wake up!
7
We do have evidence of this implicating Biden...? I must have missed that, because, as an Independent and the main reason I left the Democratic Party, I care about corruption from both parties.
5
I felt sick the day that it was announced Bolton was joining the Trump administration, after all the negative results he had caused in the previous Republican administrations. He is no hero, in that he should have voluntarily testified at the House hearings as others have stated. He has been looking out for self-interest, consistent with all the other scoundrels who serve in Trump's inner circle.
That said, sometimes the deeds of even the most wicked men can serve justice. Bolton's account should air in the light of a trial. Or he should step forward to the media, as jieto commented.
If there are no witnesses called of any sort in this trial, it is not a trial but a debate. American justice as an ideal became what Hamilton predicted: the weakest branch.
7
I sincerely hope that Trump tied Ukraine aid to a thorough investigation of Joe Biden's apparent corruption. Otherwise WHY ON EARTH are we giving $400 MILLION DOLLARS to UKRAINE?!?! When Flynt doesn't have clean water, inner city schools don't have computers, drug addiction is flourishing like a fungus. At least the very least we can use Ukraine to do what the FBI clearly refuses to do: hold our corrupt politicians accountable.
2
@Dara
There is no corruption by Biden. None. These scurrilous claims come directly from Fox News.
5
I don't believe anything until Trump officially denies it.
16
It would have been nice for Mr. Bolton to put his country first and testify earlier. His testimony would have had great impact, but he wanted to sell his book. We needed your testimony - not a book that benefits only you.
5
And Trump continues to lie this morning. Is he up to 16,000 yet?
His nonstop assault on the truth and facts lies at the core of his corruption and amorality, and is what defines him. He is a caricature of himself because his narcissism is all-consuming.
Trump has no credibility; none whatsoever. He lies or projects constantly, so when he says, "I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens.", it really means he DID tell John Bolton.
And whatever vile and unfounded accusations Trump assaults others with, it really means he is describing himself.
Just take the opposite with Trump; because it works. Every. Single. Time.
This is why he and his Republican Party defenders must pay the ultimate price: prison time for him, and utter defeat for the GOP.
11
@Larry M President Dateline: January 20, 2020
Trump has made more than 16,000 false or misleading statements in the three years since he was inaugurated, according to the Washington Post.
Monday marks exactly three years since Trump assumed the presidency, and the publication's fact-checkers claim that in that time, he has made exactly 16,241 false or misleading claims. The number of inaccurate statements has increased during each year of his time in office.
1
The impeachment should set the stage for a major debate about presidential and federal power represented by Jefferson and Hamilton, outspoken leaders of two opposing interpretations of national government. Republicans have long favored the Hamiltonian belief in a strong national government and presidency while Jefferson believed a federal government with limited powers, constrained with a bill of rights that "puts a legal check in the hands of the Judiciary" to protect minorities against mob rule that prevailed during the decade after the Revolution. Modern Republicans showing their disdain for republican government through their efforts to curtail the right to vote and pack the courts with ideologues opposed to progressive legislation that promotes the general Welfare over private greed.
8
When you've got a corrupt President and a self-serving former aide, it is time for someone, somewhere, to leak the full manuscript, and now!
14
Mike Purpura, Trump’s impeachment lawyer: “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.”
Purpura’s & Republicans’ alternative facts & lies don’t square with the NY Times headline: “Trump tied Ukraine aid to inquiries he sought, Bolton book says.”
21
Trump on Bolton: I never knew him.
21
Another moral test to see how much Trump can pervert the Grand Old Party. The party is over!
18
Every patriotic American should vow to not purchase Mr. Bolton's book. Instead of just revealing details about what happened he was presented the opportunity, by the House, to actually do something about what happened. But he decided he would rather make people pay him money to find out what he knew. Please don't make this man richer by supporting his betrayal of duty.
15
What stops the House Intelligence Committee from having a hearing this week and asking Bolton to testify? Subpoena him. It would upstage the Senate activity by a mile.
24
What we are discovering is that it doesn’t matter how many Americans testify to witnessing Trumps corruption, crimes and violations of our constitutional order.
The current party of the GOP will fall in line and protect him because they are power hungry and their means justify the ends and they fear the loss of Trump will be the loss of their party as a whole.
Trump truly is their last great white hope. He is the best they can do and they know it.
They have lost all moral authority and we are a poorer for it.
22
Does anyone else find it interesting the suspected source of Bolton's manuscript is a White House leak? The White House certainly didn't want this information made public right now. You might think John Bolton wanted it public. If Bolton wanted to testify, now is the moment. However, in theory, Bolton isn't the source. This revelation seems counter intuitive.
3
@Andy
The democrats and the media have been way over their skis for 3 years now with "blockbuster" revelations and selective context. As we learned on Saturday, the House managers were very selective on what testimony they did and didn't provide the senate. If the White House has the manuscript they know EVERYTHING it contains. After the president's defense team finishes providing full context and content today, I suspect democrats and their media toadies are in for another face plant.
Don’t buy Bolton’s book. He was morally obliged to testify to save our Constitutional government. He knew he could legally testify to Congress because a Congressional subpoena is law and we have three co-equal branches. He didn’t need permission from the other two branches. He knows the Constitution and State Department employees testified. He has the judgment to know what he can’t say in the interest of national security. It was his job in the Trump administration to know the difference and advise the Executive on national security questions. He should not make $1 due to his part in selling out the nation to a tyrant.
15
At this point, all I can think of is how any outcome will motivate and rally the voters of both parties in November. Trump acquitted? Will his base be empowered by this? Will us Dems be empowered to take justice into our own hands by "voting blue no matter who"? Trump convicted? (in our dreams) Will his base be compelled to vote for [pence] or even go for Bernie if he is the candidate? Will a different set of republicans come out to cast the "at least he is not trump" vote? Will some Dems get lazy and think we have it in the bag? Or will we prosper in November from any outcome and look at this impeachment as something that we as a Democracy had to do then, knowing fully about what we have to do now?
That answer lies within us, not within Bolton's book.
7
Giuliani Associates has a long history of working in the Ukrainian representing the interests and influence pedaling for corrupt Ukrainian & Russian oligarchs
As did Trumps felonious and jailed former campaign staff. Bad news but clearly a worthwhile endeavor for undermining US interests, nation security and the law.
8
Nothing to see here. Time to move on. Susan Collins will make her usual noises and then vote with the rest of the GOP. Romney is still leafing through his binders full of women. Lamar Alexander might want his moment in the "statesman" spotlight but that isn't going to happen.
Bolton wants to sell his book. He probably feels like his Fox "News" sinecure is over so might as well cash in while it is still possible.
Meanwhile the republic becomes little less so...
8
Both Trump and Bolton should be called before the Senate to testify about Bolton's allegations. The House could then impeach him for lying to Congress with the help of other witnesses who have already testified and others who may step forward when the dam breaks.
Thank you Socrates for reminding us that a president can be impeached multiple times for different
offenses. .
10
Usually books written by government officials, especially officials of Bolton's caliber, are vetted by the USG before publication. In other they are reviewed for classified information which is removed for reasons of national security. This information would have been removed. Why? Because, it constitutes foreign government information, which remains classified until a final decision has been made, after it may, depending on its sensitivity, be publicly released. As far as I am concerned Bolton's a traitor and should be dealt with accordingly. Thank you.
2
@Southern Boy You haven't been paying attention. As the accompanying article makes crystal clear, the WH has had a copy of Bolton's transcript since December 30. Cipollone and Sekulow both KNOW what Bolton has written, yet they continue to claim trump didn't withhold the aid for an investigation. Liars, no?
My personal bet is that the leak came from the WH.
6
We have a man in the office of the US president right now who was ordered to shut down his "charity" because of his using it for personal and illegal political benefit (sound familiar?) and due to "persistently illegal conduct; a man who, while running for office, was ordered to pay $25 million for defrauding people via his scan university; a man who took an oath to protect and defend a document he has never read, the US Constitution...and we have in Congress adult men and women along with 43% of the electorate who turn their heads to all of it, all of his corruption, all of his 16,500 lies, all of his harm to other people...because they're terrified of him and not being re-elected and because he makes libs cry. If that isn't a broken America, I don't know what is. David Jolly said the other day that, "Donald Trump has broken America." He has, but not without a lot of help.
20
Even though there are now 2600 comments posted to this article, I cannot help but add mine. How can any congressional Republican still supporting this sleazy lying corrupt incompetent self-seeking human failure continue to do so and still feel comfortable about having to explain their behavior to their constituents in November? Trump is and has always been a lying morally bankrupt low-life who never should have been elected to the office for which he is totally unqualified. If you are a Christian and truly believe in "Christian" values as espoused by Jesus, if you are an American Patriot and truly care about the future of your country, and if you care about the future of your children and their children, how can you or anyone else continue to support this very, very inadequate excuse for a human being???
24
A House committee should subpoena Bolton NOW. He allegedly wants to testify, and said he would if subpoenaed, so...let the House subpoena, right in the middle of the Senate trial. Why the heck not? There are no rules anymore....
14
Rudy Giuliani was not about to let Marie Yovanovich push for prosecutions of his Ukrainian friends who paid him a fat fee for services. Rudy is an unpaid adviser to the President, the kind that Trump especially likes.
But Rudy's friends probably got their money from Russians, so Rudy was being paid indirectly by Russians to pursue Trump's political agenda. That's the kind of payment scheme the Russians especially like, the kind where it's hard to trace the money.
Putting the pieces together, Trump was being helped by Russia in his pursuit of reelection. Again. Russians especially like the way Trump runs/doesn't run the U.S.
16
According to an Opinion piece in the Times, the House Managers can ask the Chief Justice to call witnesses. Very important information that has been ignored until now.
21
Citizens have a way to communicate their opinions in addition to voting. Contact your senators! They are your representatives. It is every citizen's right and duty, and something that may be done easily and frequently. Tell them that the Senate impeachment trial MUST hear witnesses.
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
15
The “so” bored Republicans loved describe the impeachment trial as a replay of Ground Hog Day, apparently forgetting that in the end Bill Murray gets the girl.
They really should be thinking about Monty Python since they really weren’t expecting Trump to be “grilled” by the Spanish Inquisition. “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition”, nor did Trump’s dream team expect the Bolton Revelation.
13
Bolton’s book not only contradicts the White House’s defense of the abuse of power article of impeachment, but the fact that the White House has known of Mr. Bolton’s evidence certainly supports the second impeachment article of intentional obstruction of justice.
15
@David Exactly! Why on earth did trump's attorneys repeatedly make the bold claim that trump did not direct the aid be frozen until a Biden investigation was done when they KNEW Bolton had written otherwise?
2
Trump tweeted: “I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book.”
If Trump dismisses Bolton’s claim, this is all the more urgent to summon Bolton to testify under oath.
Trump is reaping what he has sowed. Now he finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Two days ago, his defence lawyers insisted there was no quid pro quo – as asserted by the Democrats. Now they have to eat their words.
20
@J. von Hettlingen
And now the world gets to watch DJT self destruct. Enjoy the show.
5
W can all be glad that the book was dictated under oath so that it is admissible as fact and not an exaggeration.
5
@William McCain Then let’s get Bolton under oath and see what he says.
12
“ the holdup in aid was separate from Mr. Trump’s requests that Ukraine announce investigations into his perceived enemies, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter Biden, “
52 USC 30121: Contributions and donations by foreign nationals:
It shall be unlawful....or to solicit anything of value from a foreign national.
He did break the law.
18
Ask your Republican friends what action should be taken if a Cabinet member, say, for example, the Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense, had done what the Democrats allege the President has done?
Repeat the hypothetical for Executive Office appointments that requires Senate confirmation, say, for example, Director of the OMB.
6
@Don in Oakville Or what if Obama or Clinton had done it?
5
@EJS Stop further inquiries and stonewall?
@EJS
They should be held accountable too. The President, any President, is not above the law.
1
Mr. Bolton's statements ring true to me.
If Ms. Haberman and Mr. Schmidt are correct in their view that the White House could delay or kill the book's publication, why wouldn't the First Amendment block such censorship?
6
This has got to the point of absurdity. How many witnesses does it take to refute Trump's claim that aid wasn't ties to investigations? Bolton said it. Mulvaney said it. A whole raft of witnesses marched through the House hearings and said it.
Enough. Every time Trump makes this ridiculous claim, every news outlet should report it as a blatant lie. Because that is obviously what it is.
23
Today, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz would be a very good day for everyone to reflect and try to understand how it happened that a country could get its citizens so willing to murder their neighbors.
What forces of evil descended on that Nation?
And then to look at the similarities of Germany in the 30s with the same type of demagoguery, dehumanization of the other, calling opponents enemies of the state, constant and regularly repeated lies, and the willingness to promote hatred by leadership as being perpetrated on us today.
Ignore the lessons of history at our peril.
26
Oh SNAP!
So now Trump is denying the thing that his lawyers are trying to say is not illegal!
They cannot even get their lies straight.
16
Pick a Lie - Any Lie
Amazing how Trump undercuts his own defense lawyers.
Personally, I hope trump destroys the Republican party.
When they vote against impeaching him, they will be traitors and they are "going to go through some things."
The American people are watching and we cannot wait to vote Trump and the Republicans OUT OF OFFICE.
10
Trump has so far made ~16,000 "false claims" – i.e., lies – since taking office. Now he is denying telling Bolton this.
Well, I know who I believe.
13
This is leaked out of white house they have the manuscript since December. As reported. Why doesn’t T just resign? Like the decency of Nixon when the cover up consumed “all the oxygen in the room “
12
The whole of the Republican Party have thrown themselves on Trumps impeachment hand grenade to protect their leader. They will all have made the ultimate sacrifice, but for a lost cause.
Trump will not be removed. I doubt that even one GOP Senator will vote against him. But it will cost them an election.
To some degree impeachment doesn't matter. The GOP will have shown everyone that they are not to be trusted with the future of our Republic. The likes of Lindsay Graham will have been outed as a hypocrite and a Trump lackey. The "moderate Susan Collins of Maine" will be on record as a forever Trumper. Little Marco, Lying Ted, et. al. will be forever seen as the spineless Tea Party yes men they truly are. Jeff Flake and Paul Ryan - the guys who ran away rather than fight. Only John McCain gets out of this clean.
Trumps voting base will hold strong. They are already decided. They will not be swayed by whatever evidence is brought against their leader. Forget them.
What needs to happen is for the no show voters to come to the polls in November and kick out the Republicans wherever possible. The black and brown vote needs to come to the polls. The people who were turned off by Hillary need to get behind the new Democrat - whoever that is, and go to the polls.
19
@mrc
I truly believe that the voter turnout in November will be historical.
1
Cue the Jaws theme....
5
According to the New York Times, “President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.” But the Times’ article suspiciously provides no direct quote. Until it does, there’s no smoking gun. At best—or worse—we can assume Trump said something to that effect.
According to the Times, the Trump-Bolton exchange took place sometime after August 20 when Trump returned from his summer vacation to the White House. But it doesn’t much matter. The Office of Management and Budget released the Ukrainian aid on September 12, so Trump must have decided to end the freeze shorty after talking to Bolton. The issue is what Trump did, not what he wanted to do.
@William Case
I bet there is a penalty for publishing words held under contract by another publisher. Ask Robert Maxwell's daughter. He knew how to shut up a true crime story by contract, or injunction. Who needs national security?
Oh what a surprise! But it won't matter to Republicans. There could be a cashed check from Putin to Trump and they would excuse it. Vote Blue no matter who!
12
They’ll still acquit.
5
@Dave
They had no problem clearing an alleged sex offender by omission of the evidence as ordered by the President in that fake FBI recital. Trump's got two gimmicks. Slandering others and squatting on evidence of his own crimes.
2
Trump, Pompeo, Pence, Barr & Mulvaney belongs in jail as of yesterday.
And Giuliani needs to be send to Guantanamo for crimes against democracy and against humanity.
9
@P2,
Then there is Devin Nuñez who went on an international disinformation tour funded by the Kremlin but who reimbursed his travel expenses to the American taxpayers.
3
The swamp is getting deeper and smellier...
9
Mr Bolton, Congratulations on becoming the first solo traveler on The Trump Turnpike. Beware of buses!
7
@GW
Did you hear Rudy claiming they want him dead? Maybe the Russians do, but I want him on the stand and then in the pokey. I bet Pompeo wants him lost somewhere.
The timing of this release will be questioned, and its revelations are nothing new. If he was willing to talk, then why did he wait until now? In the end, unfortunately, I don't think it will matter.
1
after so much evidence has come through, will it change the Republicans views that there should be witnesses, my personal view is probably not, what it will show is just how
cowardly they are presenting themselves in front of the world, how low their integrity is, and how lucky that the military is not depending on them to be out in the frontlines fighting for the protection of the Constitution and the Democracy and freedoms that the American people depend on. It will be shameful, however, not surprising.
7
If the Senate Republicans refuse to hear new witnesses and evidence, then we are no longer a functioning democracy.
God Help Us.
15
Is there really any doubt -- at this point -- that Trump is guilty as charged?
The President broke the law when he ordered a freeze on the funds Congress lawfully voted to send o Ukraine.
Only the senate Republicans seem unable to grasp that when the President breaks a law that involves our national security, he is betraying us.
14
Bolton had many opportunities to talk, before pebbing his book. His timing is suspicious.
He will not be called as a witness. Another great example of greed and self interest at work from a former member of the Trump's administration.
1
I can not avoid the feeling that Mister Trump is held captive by the interests of the Russian oligarchs. The action of withholding military aid for Ukraine, allowing Russia to control more of Ukraine was the true ultimate darker result of this action. The election flap while horrific and an abuse of power, pales in the damage done to Ukraine.
13
Another unsubstantiated accusation, which the press immediately characterized as “explosive news”! And like all the other unsubstantiated accusations this too will soon be forgotten. If Bolton wanted to reveal this, all he had to do was accept the impeachment inquiry’s request to testify. Now he’s writing a “tell all” book that sensationalizing his account of what happened to sell books that no one would ordinarily want to read.
1
@Raul Campos
Trump is denying what Bolton has said. So, it must be true.
2
Those who have nothing to hide—hide nothing.
10
It doesn’t matter the republicans are all in on keeping the traitors Trump & McConnell at the helm. The Republican side of the Senate floor has become nothing more than a heap of invertebrates and probably most invertebrates take umbrage at that comparison.
10
Why is Bolton's revelation so stunning. Even a child understood that there was a quid pro quo.
There is overwhelming direct evidence proving that the aid was linked to an investigation. The timorous Republicans could care less and Bolton's testimony won't change anything.
Given that the Republican Senators did not laugh out loud when the President's parrot's, er, I mean lawyers, started spouting Russian talking points as the core of their defense of the President, there is really no hope for these pathetic creatures.
It is time to get this over.
Oh, and don't make Bolton out to be a hero. Bolton has zero integrity. He sat on his rear and refused to help the House and now, realizing how bad history is going to judge his final act, belatedly is making a push to testify. It is not genuine.
8
Hmmm.... Bolton has an axe to grind with Trump. Bolton has a book deal that will sell to the Never Trumpers. That adds up to motivation infinitely more than documentation. Book deals are sweet work if you've got an angle in DC. Capisce?
2
Unless Bolton testifies in person, under oath at the impeachment hearing, cross examined, all of this is fluff and meaningless. Just as all of the recordings Igor and Les release - get this into the trial otherwise it is just hot air, pushed by Putin.
6
It was foolish of Bolton to leak his book and for the Times to publish selected content from it.
Only a Democrat would try to call him as a witness now.
The House Democrats made a mistake by not pursuing a subpoena of Bolton during its impeachment investigation.
I hope that the impeachment process ends soon so that perhaps, the Congress can pursue needed legislation in areas such immigration reform and the federal budget deficit.
Bolton is nothing more than a whistle blower disguised as an agent provocateur. He lacks the moral compass needed to bring this forward, instead performs this passive-aggressive maneuver. Boo.
3
Impeach Trump and throw him out.
Impeach Pompeo and throw him out.
Impeach Barr and throw him out.
Drain this swamp.
23
It seems that hell hath no fury like a former National Security Advisor scorned. President Trump refused to blow up every part of the world Bolton doesn't like so now he's trying to blow up the Trump administration.
1
What truly horrifies me is the lack of accountability in our government. We have allowed a President to humiliate us abroad, damage our national security, and profit from the office with his hotels and business holdings. Not to mention all of the dark money coming in from the Charles Koch to buy elections from the federal level down to the local level. It’s a shame that this level of corruption has only grown during the Trump Presidency.
Congress, more specifically The Senate in this trial, are tasked with keeping the president in check and they are failing in their constitutional mandate to carry out this trial in a logician fashion. We need to hear from key witnesses including former NSA Advisor John Bolton, Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Senate Republicans, do your duty to our country and not just to your party. We can not afford to erode the constitution further by your desire to hold on to power and allow this President to destroy the credibility of our country. The time has come for action.
17
Attempts to stop Bolton testifying with claims of executive privilege, or on national security grounds, or arguments for a restraining order on any basis can be ruled on by the Chief Justice immediately, or the Chief Justice can hold an emergency hearing with the full Supreme Court rendering a decision immediately.
7
So let me get this straight. The United States Senate is going to refuse to exercise it's legitimate - strike that - its REQUIRED Constitutional function of a check on the Executive Branch? That function, in the form of compelling an administration officials to give information under oath? In the case of this particular official, crucial information that is already out there in the form of a book by that self-same official?
So now that that info is going to be locked out of the Senate chambers, are the Republicans going to pretend that it doesn't exist? How does that work? Are they going to gag Senate Democrats from presenting it? Are they going to shut the Senate windows so that negative Omen Birds don't fly through? (Sorry about the last one; wrong senate.)
So now that the crucial info is going to be suppressed and the Republicans are just going pretendwe've set the precedent, let the bidding
11
@Thucydides
That last paragraph should read: So, is the precedent going to be that the President's party can suppress information of the President's alleged misconduct - even when that misconduct is well known? Generally, can a candidate conspire with a foreign government (where have I heard that before?) to get/manufacture negative info on his leading opponent?
Well, if so, let the bidding begin! China, you want those tariffs lifted? What can you offer me as far dirt on the President? Iran, want those sanctions lifted? North Korea, I know you're good buddies with this president, but I also know you have some good hackers. What's your help worth to you?
How about Roberts’ duty to compel evidence and testimony for a fair trial, as from yet another, apparently corrupt-acting, branch for Checks and Balances...?
Trump denies Bolton's claim that the withholding of aid was about coercing Ukraine to announce investigations of the Bidens (and other Democrats is new!), but we all heard and saw Trump on TV say if Ukraine was honest, they'd investigate the Bidens ( along with China). Just another, "Don't believe what you see and hear/ignore what I've said in the past and go with what I'm saying now" Trump moment. And his base says, "Yes, sir!"
13
Great reporting. Isn't it ironic that Donald Trump, a serial disseminator of conspiracy theories -- including the infamous "birther" theory -- may ultimately be removed from office for believing and acting on another discredited theory: "Crowdstrike"? Sometimes irony is also poetic justice.
9
Executive Privilege doesn't extend to profiting from a tell-all book? Bolton is eager to make things public if royalties are provided, not for lame reasons like law, order, duty and patriotism.
7
Practically every President since LBJ committed war crimes, but they weren’t impeached because both parties are into the military industrial complex up to their eyeballs. Trump, however, is being impeached over a telephone call. There is something a lot deeper going on, and I think it involves members of the so-called “intelligence community” who feel threatened by Trump. So the “liberal” NYT readership should wake up. The threat to democracy does not come from Trump but from the political establishment who will engage in every lie and insidious plot to stop him. Stay tuned.
2
@Edward
If Barack Obama had done anything like this (and he didn't, so stop right there), you and the Republicans in Congress would have been screeching for impeachment at the tops of your lungs. You all couldn't find anything to charge Hillary Clinton with regard to the Benghazi matter (because, after 28 months of investigations, ten investigating committees, 21 hearings and spending nearly $7 million of taxpayer money, there wasn't any wronging determined), but now are willing to turn a blind eye and shrug off real corruption, simply because it's been perpetrated by "your guy." The hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy is mind-boggling, but totally predictable.
5
I don't know which is worse, the clearly corrupt sociopath in the White House or the republican senate. The spectacle of the republican senators clinging together and turning a blind eye to Trump's wrongdoing is almost unbearable to watch. Looks like they are willing to go over the cliff with Trump and they don't care if they take this republic with them. We are witnessing mob psychology and humanity at its worse. It just goes on and on... Trump continues to subvert and obstruct and is fully supported by the republican senators who value their own (transient) power over our Constitution and the rule of law. Vote blue in 2020.
19
I have never been a fan of a John Bolton’s. His neo-con philosophy helped lead us into the disastrous Iraq War. However, despite what I think are his extremely wrong-headed views, I believe he loves our country and would most certainly tell the truth under oath. He would not perjure himself to save Trump.
For the Republicans to refuse to call him as a witness is tantamount to obstruction at this point, given what we now know.
12
The other pattern here is that Trump only acts out of his own personal interests, and often out of revenge over his wounded ego. The audio put out by Parnas indicates that Trump wanted Yovanovich fired after he was told that she was bad-mouthing him. W/o any hesitation upon hearing that, he ordered this person he doesn't know, Parnas, to "Take her out"; His Ukraine team, including Bolton, have said that they had trouble getting through to Trump in terms of helping Ukraine because Trump felt that Ukraine, 'Tried to take me down", referring to the 2016 Election (and just as with Yovanovitch, didn't bother to find out if it was true or not, and kept pushing Putin's propaganda despite it having been debunked); and of course, the big one, his using public money, people's lives, and our and Ukraine's national security as leverage to coerce foreign help with corrupting our 2020 election to help him win. Everything with Trump is about Trump. He has a sick ego which controls him, and now our country.
9
Even if Bolton's book is accurate, and even if the White House chooses not to assert Executive Privilege, this is still Bolton's word against Trump's. Mulvaney and others have already made the same claim, or offered supporting evidence for this claim.
The bombshell du jour is yet another dud.
2
@Sequel
And Trump is famous for never telling a lie.
2
If Trump only withheld aid to buy time to determine if Ukraine was corrupt or not does not seem too bad. What's all the fuss about?
3
It remains unclear whether the NY Times actually possesses and has read the purloined pages of the Bolton draft book. It is relying on accounts of them by others, about whom we know little or nothing. Nor do we know, if the reported conversation ever did take place, the precise circumstances under which and when that occurred. Mr. Bolton's perceptions about such things, of course, are colored by his long career as a civil servant marked his reportedly long-held and extreme war-like views. Perhaps we will learn more about this in future days. In the Senate and now? Doubtful.
@Percy41 So obviously McConnell will subpoena Bolton so that truth can be heard , Not a Chance.
3
@Duncan Lennox Right. But even if he did, that would not ensure that we could get got to the bottom of it -- to "The Truth."
Even with 'sensational scoops' like this, the fundamental question everybody tries to avoid having to answer is this:
what was Joe Biden thinking, when he let his son become a board member of a shifty (at best) company drawing a hefty salary for doing nothing and do so in a terribly corrupt country whose 'file' was assigned to him to handle in his capacity, as Vice President?
This is not Trump's problem, nor Bolton's, nor anybody elses: only Joe Biden's.
And he has to answer.
1
@waldo "...when he let his son..."? Hunter Biden was a grown adult when he took the job. He didn't have to run the prospect by his daddy and get his approval. And, the secretly withholding of aid is 100% a trump problem, and it looks like Bolton can shed light on the motivations.
3
Trump, America's serial liar and chief, and all his pathetic sycophants, missed the enduring lesson that the truth will always emerge. So it has and so it will continue to regarding the Ukraine call. And, for their sake, I hope his adoring base didn't miss Trump's assertion, quickly walked back, naturally, that he's open to going after entitlements. I'm sure McConnell and Lindsay rushed to advise that you don't tell the base you're going to betray them before the election, but after.
11
The real question is, "why is Bolton acting in this manner?"
Although I dislike his politics he is not a stupid person . There must be something behind his conduct. He will not testify - then he will, then he writes a book. What are we all missing here?
One would think that Bolton, as a far right ideologue, would stick with the GOP line of "just say no" Yet he dabbles with the ethical approach. What is he trying to do?
2
If Republicans dismiss this scathing accusation by John Bolton and still refuse to allow him to testify under oath, we must vote everyone of them out.
Such an blatant conspiracy to cover up for this corrupt president is unconscionable.
Vote them out.
Vote them out.
Vote them out
5
All this melodramatic hand-wringing. The "rule of law" is being violated. Trump is a dictator. Our democracy is at stake.
All this because he tried, and failed to to get a little political dirt from a foreign leader on one of his election competitors. Very uncommon, I'm sure, to exchange favors for campaign dirt.
I hate to seem to be defending Trump, but I believe in fairness. For Trump the best he can hope for is a finding that he was exhibiting signs of dementia.
How is it that all the Republican Senators who don't want to convict Trump are different from all the Democratic Senators who didn't want to convict Clinton? The man was found to have lied to a federal Grand Jury, a serious felony that usually carries jail time.
Clinton just took advantage of a 21 year old White House intern, committing sexual acts with her a dozen times.
It is a duty of the Senate sitting in Court trying impeachment to determine if the grounds for impeachment are insufficient. This Senate, as did the Clinton Senate, believes that the grounds for impeachment are too weak to support removal from office.
For election cheating, see the 1960 Kennedy campaign. For the critical West Virginia primary, Kennedy's father Joe bribed Chicago boss Sam Giancana to turn out the union votes in support of Kennedy. Frank Sinatra was the messenger between the parties. Sinatra's daughter Tina confirmed the story on 60 Minutes in a 2000 interview. Search on Giancana, Tina Sinatra and 60 Minutes for the story.
@Bill Keating
Apples and oranges. Trump is the only one who tried to get a political favor from a FOREIGN country - using blackmail yet.
See the difference?
5
@Bill Keating
Clinton and the Clinton administration and Democrats cooperated with the House and Senate impeachment process. They did not obstruct Congress. There actually was a trial. Not in this case.Nothing shouts guilty like refusing to release all the required "materials."
3
@M. Imberti We are talking about the basic integrity of our President.
Of course if you think that there is a big difference between (1) bribing a foreign official in exchange for dirt on a competitor and (2) bribing a mobster to deliver actual votes in an election
Then no, I don't see the difference.
The timing of this article—right before the question of whether witnesses will be called in the Senate—is a little too convenient, but it’s still not enough to create an impeachable offense because the Bidens apparently were not the exclusive target but other Democrats as well who were not potential political rivals but were still part of a wider corruption probe.
4
@Edward
No, it was just the Bidens.
2
Why do so many of these gotcha type NY Times articles receive their information from anonymous sources? "Multiple people described Mr. Bolton’s account of the Ukraine affair." We are led to believe that no one from the NY Times has seen the manuscript. Right? However, there is extensive detail in this article about the book. There are dates, times and locations about Trump calls and meetings. Who are these anonymous sources that they have such photographic memories? Were they reading the book directly to the NY Times reporters? These anonymous sources seem too good to be true. The timing and the copy seem to be material an Avenatti client would provide. How many times have anonymous sources of that caliber proven to be wrong?
5
@Ben Anders
It's quite possible that the authors have a copy of the manuscript.
7
@Ben Anders
You have to figure some things out and make sure you read reputable media such as NYT.
The only people other than the publisher who have seen it are the White House who got to vet it for national security reasons. The leaks probably same from people in the administration as they are the only people to have had access. Trump's smooth well oiled machine leaks like a sieve.
12
@Ben Anders That's funny, considering the current occupant of the White. House, President "People are saying" Trump. So, you no doubt really want Bolton to testify at the impeachment trial under oath, right? No, huh.
3
If Bolton is subpoenaed, you could bet that next up will be Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, the whistleblower, Schiff, and Alexandra Chalupa.
That means it will become very clear that Trump was justified in holding back that money unless they looked into the Bidens.
It is simply not believable that Biden strong arming the Ukranians by holding back that 1 billion, in 6 hours no less, had nothing to do with protecting his son. This will be front and center.
It will exonerate Trump and destroy Bidens candidacy.
Methinks once McConnell levys the threat of calling those witnesses, this insatiable appetite for calling Bolton will subside.
Bernie is rising in the polls, and the Democrat establishment is scared to death of Bernie.
5
@InvestAndProsper Joe Biden and Schiff are pros that love the camera. They will treat such a stage as an excellent chance to fundraise and make the GOP look like a bunch of fools. Remember Hillary Clinton’s 11-hour Benghazi testimony?
Calling Hunter Biden would open a real Pandora’s Box. You can expect all of Trump’s kids and Elaine Chao to be getting grilled weekly on Capital Hill if such a pointless precedent is made.
5
@InvestAndProsper Sure.
@InvestAndProsper If trump thought Biden did anything illegal, he should have went to the FBI.
Withholding tax payer dollars for help with your pathetic scampaign that cannot win the popular vote, is more illegal than whatever you think Biden did.
1
Wow, guess I'll have to Buy that Book!! It will give me something to read when I am standing in line to cast my vote to Re-Elect Mr. Trump. Looking forward to the read.
6
All the reports about Hunter were not that he "had" worked for Burisma but that he was sitting on their board at the tune of $50,000 a month. and continued to work for them until sometime in 2019. They were being charged criminal corruption. In 2018, Joe Biden gave a detail account of how he got the prosecutor fired in a2015 televised interview. He told the President of the Ukraine he had six hours to fire the prosecutor or they were not going to get the aid we promised. Trump didn't ask for anyone to get fired or prosecuted. He asked that they find out what happened and how it happened. We only had Joe's story about the events. In any case the prosecutor got fired, the charges dropped, and Hunter continued to get his $50,000 a month until some time in 2019. Yovanovitch talked about being devastated when she got fired. Recent reports say she was essentially telling all who would listen, not to pay attention to Trump, he was going to be impeached. The Democrats could not care less about high crimes, which making sure Joe's description was correct and firing an ambassador who thought she could say anything she wanted about the president, surly was not. It is about political power. They believe he cannot be beat in the coming election so don't leave it to the people voting, get him out of the White house and off the ballot now.
6
@Ron Huh? "Recent reports say she was essentially telling all who would listen, not to pay attention to Trump, he was going to be impeached." Um...the "reports" are comments made by Trump. The rest of your comment lacks well known context.
17
@Ron, impeachment never leaves it “to the people who are voting” as you suggest. That is not how our justice system works—and for good reason. If it did, we’d all just vote whenever someone were accused of a crime. Do you want that?
Imagine yourself accused of treason for covering up what really happened with Trump using our taxpayer money to bribe a foreign leader in a corrupt country to interfere in our hallowed election process? Well, we’d just vote on it and you’d likely go to jail. No due process. Just let the mob decide. That’s mob rule.
Would you rather have that, or a fair judicial process where all the evidence is presented? Fortunately, we have the rule of law in the U.S., not the rule of mob.
7
You overlook the fact that Joe Biden was enacting the policy of the United States and its allies in demanding the corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor, who was actively not investigating Burisma, be replaced with an uncorrupt prosecutor who would investigate Burisma.
32
You're only allowed to "hear" what John Bolton has to say if you stump up your $29.95.
That said, even if what Bolton allegedly said is true there is still no crime nor impeachable offense. A President can ask a foreign leader for something in return for foreign aid and they, of course, do it all the time. Asking the President of Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden (and Joe Biden), whose position on the Burisma board was facially a corrupt conflict of interest, is and was prefectly reasonable. The notion that Trump did it for his own personal political gain is a fanciful notion that's not unreasonable, ut of which there is zero evidence; even from John Bolton.
8
Well you don’t really get to block all possible sources of direct evidence and then gloat about the lack of direct evidence, can you? Doesn’t work that way.
30
@Pod Beating a dead horse. Presidents can ask if it is for the national interest, not for personal, political gains.
Trump was circumventing his own administration, ignoring the very staff he himself hired and keeping his admirable anti-corruption crusade a secret until even republicans started panicking over the aid not being released.
But you do you.
19
@Pod I think "impeachable offense" needs to be re-defined. To me, Trump's press conference in Helsinki was impeachable. Total childishness and incompetence should be impeachable.
18
Stormy Daniels et al. Mike Flynn. Michael Cohen. Robert Mueller. James Comey. “The Mooch”. The two Russian guys. And all the others whose names I can’t recall. We believed all of them held secrets which would result in His downfall. And now this guy. Doing the same things over and over again and believing the result will be different. What’s that called again? Democrats clinging to their pipe dream of impeachment as if the constitution were a perfect document and it would save us. All this instead of us voting and them giving us reason to vote for them. Four More Years.
6
@Stephen H
So, all of this is is a conspiracy against Trump? If so, I have a bridge for sale near you.
Trump brought this on himself.
34
You do understand that the things you mention add up to excellent reasons to vote Trump gone, right? That languid indifference is partly why he stays afloat, yes?
26
You misunderstand. I agree we need Him gone. You are fooling yourselves into thinking that these “revelations” and this impeachment will result in something other than four more years.
1
The Iranian who accidentally shot down a passenger jet is in jail. When the US shot down an Iranian passenger jet in 1988, killing 290, including 60 kids, the man responsible was given a medal. And we should believe anything these thugs have to say? Regardless of their political affiliations?
18
@Michael Sorensen - It is a terrible thing, but I have doubts about the ship captain or even the Iranians intentionally shooting down a passenger jet. What would be the motive of the destroyer captain to shoot down a passenger jet? It was certainly an act of criminal negligence, at least.
If you read a lot of military history you know that there are a lot more instances of "friendly fire" than are acknowledged. Men who are afraid and whose nerves are raw tend to shoot first and ask questions later.
The captain may have received that medal because all the other captains received the medal and to withhold his would seem like an admission of guilt.
I don't see the motive for premeditated mass murder such as that. Did you notice that when Iran confessed to shooting down the passenger jet you did not get the expected accusations of intentional murder from the United States, despite the hard feelings between the nations. We said clearly that the Iranian action had been accidental. Just as our action had been accidental, of course.
2
@Bill Keating-Philip Giraldi, a former counter-terrorism specialist, and military intelligence officer of the CIA, penned a piece in the American Herald Tribune speculating that the U.S. launched several cyber-attacks, one on an Iranian missile defense system, and another on the transponder of the doomed Ukrainian plane. Giraldi explains the Iranian missile operator experienced extreme "jamming" and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752's transponder was switched off several minutes before the two Russian made Tor missiles were launched.
"The shutdown of the transponder, which would have automatically signaled to the operator and Tor electronics that the plane was civilian, instead automatically indicated that it was hostile. The operator, having been particularly briefed on the possibility of incoming American cruise missiles, then fired," he said.
1
@Michael Sorensen That is really scary information; if true, it puts a whole new gloss on cyber collateral damage.
1
The same may be differently experienced. Mr. Trump may describe what is experienced and for those descriptions be criticized! He may avoid closeness among the real and descriptions. In regard to what he may have said, does one need to think carefully about whether he was closely delineating
@M. C. Major He may issue comments such as online to condition the desirable, and may only sometimes allude to the experienced!
@M. C. Major He may issue comments such as online to condition the desirable, and may only sometimes allude to that which is real!
@M. C. Major He may issue comments such as online to condition the desirable, and may only sometimes describe the experienced!
1
President Obama refused to honor a court supported subpoena for three years.
5
@ Dr. John
...which, I assume, you felt was improper. The same way you now feel it’s improper for the Trump administration to ignore subpoenas, right?
14
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
5
@Dr. John
Huh?
Evidence please.
5
Bolton's "revelations" should not be shocking. Remember at the very end of the Kavanaugh hearings the numerous women who suddenly appeared with revived memories of some additional charges against the nominee. That bought the Dems another week of investigation, which found nothing.
The contents of Bolton's book have not been cleared for publication, so their appearance now means that either someone broke the law (both Bolton and his attorney have denied leaking the material), OR the information is invented. We don't know (and aren't likely to find out for the time being.)
From the moment Bolton announced that he'd be willing to testify, the scent of payback filled the air. It appeared that he was willing and anxious to harm the president who had abandoned him.
But as with Kavanaugh, nothing will come of this. The Republicans will prevent the trial from dragging on and will acquit the president. This week should signal the end.
1
@David This week may signal the end of democracy as we know it.
2
Unfortunately, those of us who do not support Trump and his enablers and minions are very inclined to look for a rescuing knight to ride in on a white stallion and save the country from this tyrant (see: Bob Mueller). When I see us pinning our hopes on the like of Mr. Mustache, a neocon who never met a war he didn't like, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
11
@Bronwyn Yes, Bolton aka Yosemite Sam has a white mustache so doesn't need to look for the white stallion, but the point is well made. I think crying is the only option at this point in the Trump wars. The more he spins, the more out of control the world we knew disappears into the fog of mendacity. And for all you who bring up Kennedys, LBJ, and the past, we are operating in the current presidency where new lows have been set. For such a principled man, surely Bolton's going to sell lots of books.
We are now seeing a clear lesson in "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely". I would also like to mention, as Mitch McConnell's wife is a direct report to the President, that he should have recused himself from the process.
16
@Bill
Bill you have truncated Lord Acton's famous saying. The saying continued - "most great men are bad men".
2
The swamp was never deeper and the dark state never darker than that which has accumulated around President-for-Life-and-Then-His-Children Donald J. Trump. Period.
11
No wonder Trump and and McConnell were trying to rush the impeachment trial as fast as possible. They knew the manuscript was circulating and feared it would leak. These guys should be in jail! As I’ve said a million times, I’m more afraid of Senate Republicans than I am of ISIS. These terrorists in expensive suits will be the death of us all!
24
1) the money made it to Ukraine on time before the Sept 30th deadline 2) there are no victims on the other end of alleged crime. No one has come forward from Ukraine to say there was a quid pro quo. These 2 facts debunk the entire scenario. Trump did ask about Biden & corruption, but the money wasn’t tied to it. All Trump did was ask, the last administration paid for a made up dossier, got illegal fisa warrants, and involved 5 eyes spy agencies all over the world to stop a political opponent. You tell me which one is worse.
1
@JOSEPH
Why the fear of witnesses who can come forth with exculpatory evidence?
5
Read the transcript!
The call was “perfect”! A *perfect* example of a threat and a corrupt and illegal quid pro quo — and in Trump's own words!
Anyone who reads the rough transcript knows that it is more than sufficient evidence to show Trump breaking the law, demanding foreign government interference in our elections, and clearly an impeachable offense that warrants removal from office.
Trump himself said it! And, then, he followed up by asking publicly for Ukraine's and even China's interference.
Given all the supporting testimony and documentation that corroborates the call — all the lies that Trump,and his minions have spewed about it — and all that's being hidden — conviction should already have happened.
Had Hillary done even 1/100 of what Trump did, the Republicans would already have voted for her impeachment and conviction!
11
Nothing seems to stick. What can this book do? Folks with top-notch integrity like Bob Woodward cannot even dent opinion of the 42-percent. War monger Bolton's book is just a blip.
3
@kranthi
This is about Senate Republicans.
1
Time to indict Pompeo, Pence, Barr, Mulvaney, et al.
16
@pbh51
And then there’s Nuñez who peddled Russian propaganda financed by Putin and reimbursed his travel expenses to the American taxpayers.
4
Back in 2009, Bolton’s beggaring for book sales battered my FinL’s mailbox so often I nicknamed him Buy My Book Bolton.
Now Trump knows why he should not hire people with more self interest than fear of his hapless hatred.
1
I'm sick of this whole thing. This is not a trial; it's a joke. Some day our ancestors will look back in time and read about the time a corrupt, child-like, out-of-control president held the United States and corrupt, spineless senators hostage while no one could do anything about it.
18
@Wally Wolfd
I’m glad Bill Maher said it first, as this is why Caesar bought the salad.
2
The entire country is now getting a taste of what we New Yorkers have always known about Donald Trump. The pathological liar, corrupt businessman, bully, immoral human being, unethical, vulgar, and the worst US leader ever. And if this is what we want in The White House as our representative to the world then we have no basis to claim any moral highground.
46
@Mike
Chinese history reveals people will not tolerate a third rate dictator without a topple. Even if you lack benevolence and righteousness, you have to fake it if you want to survive. Trump is flying in the face of sound despotism.
He’s going down.
What a dummy DJT doesn’t even realize all the people closest to him are using him for their own means like Giuliani & Manafort. How can Giuliani work for free when his monthly spending is 240k/mo which came out during his recent divorce trial? Or Manafort has a huge debt to a Russian oligarch?
15
Speak up NYC: Deep Throat told Bernstein and Woodward to follow the money in Watergate. This time the money trail is in rubles! "All roads lead to Putin" - Nancy Pelosi, October 2019.
If Republican Senators continue to block the operation of impeachment, all future Presidents - regardless of party - will know that, once elected, they can do whatever they want. And nobody will be able to stop them.
Doesn't that matter to these people ?
Is Trump's support during the next election all they really care about ?
22
@Oriole I think the republicans think if they keep Trump in place and if they can continue to keep him under some semblance of control, they can use his absolute power to keep republicans in the presidency and in power from now on.
3
How is Democrat Impeachment Incompetence My Problem?
The Republican refusal to allow Senate trial witnesses, rests on the premise that the House Democrats erred when they did not sue to enforce the subpoenas they issued for the first hand witnesses and documents. And so, because the House Democrats were incompetent in their impeachment role, the Republican Senate will not fulfill their duty to hold a trial that will reveal the truth.
The salary of every member of congress is paid by the people, not by their political party.
Incompetence doubled, is not what America paid for and deserves; It does not address the questions that must be answered in a free nation, and it hides the truth from the American people.
2
How is it your problem? Do you really not care what happens to the country and the world as the US becomes a totalitarian state?
3
@rich Didn't the Democrats choose not to enforce the subpoenas because those would be jammed/blocked in the Republican courts? For too long? Yes, perhaps that calculation was based on elections, but we're not viewing how the GOP acts: Lockstep. Corruption, anyone?
@KJ Neffmeister
I think you missed the point. Which is that none of us deserve NOT to hear the truth, just because the Republicans say that the Democrats should have more vigorously pursued witness subpoena enforcement in the House.
So it is crystal clear now[ just in case you had doubts ] that a vote for trump is a vote for a criminal. I am quite tired of my friends who love trump that tell me that " they " all do it. Baloney, not all pols brake the law to this extent. I refuse to believe that a real republican will vote for trump. All of my friends used to be democrat and most where in the unions. Now they love trump and it is not because of the economy, I will let you decide what the other reason is.
20
@oscar jr
My guess: racism.
1
So the White House has known the contents of Mr Bolton’s manuscript since the end of December and no doubt have prepared the president’s defence based on what will be disclosed in a future book.
Mr Bolton must be called as witness if the impeachment trial has any meaning or validity. It is highly likely the White House will try and suppress the manuscript and the GOP Senate will vote against witnesses being called.
But the facts usually come out in time. The question for those GOP senators now is, what side of history do you want to be on?
And where does that leave your democracy?
15
Under what law can the "White House" prevent the testimony of John Bolten or anyone else who decides to come forward with information? Even publication of the "Pentagon Papers" was legitimized by the courts.
But Trump is now asserting that he can even regard statements that might suggest his thinking about foreign leaders as national security related. This is utter nonsense like the rest of Trump's defense but it appears that if you can find lawyers to couch such nonsense into legaleze then it acquires a sort of "truthiness" that Trump's cult following and his Congressional supporters can embrace.
8
@W Marin
Executive privilege. Its been around since 1796.Obama used it once. Clinton used it 14 times.
Democrats can fight it, in court. Thats why we have a court system.
Unless you want to start stripping the President of his rights?
1
@InvestAndProsper Stripping, or preventing, a president from overstepping his/her authority is a good thing.
After all, we have a person answerable, in theory, to the people. Not a sovereign.
3
It is beyond hard to understand how this remains a partisan issue. The Republican senate is like a flock of ostriches all with their heads firmly down in the sand. I can see it in my mind's eye. It would be funny if it wasn't so dire. The truth matters as does doing right. What is wrong with these people?
13
Bolton’s book is just reinforcing what actually happened, not revealing anything new - that the aid was tied to corruption investigations in Ukraine, including the Biden’s which was a corruption accusation. Just like Obama withheld aid until they got a commitment on corruption investigations.
1
So what? That's how things get done all around this big world of ours.
1
The truth about Trump, Ukraine and his other elicit dealings will come out as there are so many people involved including John Bolton. The question is will those covering for him now take the hit for Trump when it all comes out? Plenty of room in the cell besides Manafort and Cohen.
6
The House Democrats are demanding total subservience and creation of a paranoid Presidency from here on out.
There is no similar process for the President to demand the personal conversations of Tlaib, AOC or Maxine Waters, let alone kick Schiff or Pelosi out of office.
If you demand the President consult with experts that may be subpoenaed anytime, what would the conversation look like?
Dems blew it with Trump. Trump would have co-opted many Democrats wants into his proposals. Trump has always been Republican light. But Dems blew it. The creation of a forever impotent Presidency will destroy this country. You can't have it both ways. Ask the Dem candidates if they believe all their private consultations when President, should be made publicly available?
1
Contemptuous of the oath each of them took from the Chief Justice, Senate Republicans' objective has long been to keep buried until after the presidential election proof that Trump extorted a foreign country for his own political purposes and to the detriment of national security, a canonical impeachable offense. Their slogan has been 'the Democrats have no direct witnesses tying Trump to the alleged misconduct.' But, as Rep. Adam Schiff predicted would happen, Bolton has exploded that narrative. In the title of Bolton's book, Trump now stands credibly accused by someone 'In the Room Where It Happened'.
Brazenness is essential Trumpism, so it's possible even the Bolton bombshell will not shake Senate Republicans' determination to sustain Trump's stonewall. But Nancy Pelosi did not get herself twice elected House Speaker by accident. She knew that Republicans, their integrity and character perished in Trump's cult, would behave as they dismally have. And so, it is now apparent, she put on trial not only Trump but his party. They both now stand unmasked and convicted. Not in the Senate, but in the court of public opinion.
With providence, November's voters will pass sentence.
8
"what happens if it is revealed that Mr. Trump’s not-very-positive thoughts about certain leaders were to somehow be revealed and become widely known?"
No future President will discuss anything honestly with any adviser.
By the way, do you mind if your house is bugged and a transcript of any discussion you have is distributed at your office and to your friends? Please share!
@novoad
Those who have nothing to hide —hide nothing.
3
Who will be the conscience of the GOP Senate? Senator Alexander history is knocking on your door. Will you open the door of transparency and explain why you will to your fellow Senators.
Leader McConnell, will you realize that your power will only grow by opening the impeachment hearings so the witnesses can testify under oath?
One man with courage makes a majority.
I am tired of the lies. I am saddened that the Senate has dissolved into a body of weak men and weak women.
My family members fought and died in wars defending our rights under the Constitution and freeing Europe under the grip of fascism.
Will the Senators look beyond their self-interests and be the patriots they claim to be?
Bring forward witnesses that were in the room. Have them take an oath. If they lie under oath they should be placed in a Federal prison for not less than 10 years.
Enough of the lies and deceit. My country deserves better. We all demand the truth.
6
Trump should have asked Ukraine to investigate all corruption except for the corruption of the Biden’s. Joe is looking to run for president and that excludes him and his family from any scrutiny. And we all know that the Biden’s did no wrong now too. Using one political power to gather massive wealth is ok as long as we all pretend it is ok. It is in the culture of the swamp.
@ Jim
No, trump should have asked US investagative organizations to investigate corruption in Ukraine. That is what a non-corrupt president would have done.
Trump did not want an investigation. He wanted an announcement of an investigation of Burisma and Biden in order to smear his political rival.
4
My question to Republican U.S. Senators:
Pretend, for a moment, that you care about the truth. Use your imagination. Reach back into your childhood memories if necessary. Got it?
Now: What would you do if you did?
5
This is the literary equivalent of the stain on the dress
8
Excellent coordination between the Democrats and the Democrat media.
However, this “bombshell” will also fizzle out.
2
“The problem with John is it’s a national security problem,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference in Davos, Switzerland. “He knows some of my thoughts. He knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it’s not very positive?”
Seriously? I dare anyone to read the above and then explain to me how Trump is not psychotic.
8
So we'll be hearing that, "it's only a crime if the President doesn't commit it!".
3
What is this, the 14th person to corroborate the same story now? At what point do we all just accept the fact that this was a very clear case of abusing ones power for personal gain?( And sloppy at that.) There’s no nuance here, no matter how hard the president’s attorneys tap dance around the facts.
NOW republicans are saying Bolton is lying because he wants to sell books. Yes, he wants to sell books, but why lie when the substantiated truth is much juicer.
9
Another packet of alternative truths from a disgruntled former employee.
We need to hear from a gruntled employee.
Call Rudy to the stand!
That will get to the bottom of this.
3
McConnell; he is the key! What will he do if this gets out to keep his flock corralled? If he can't keep them in check, can he retrain enough to stay in power?
This really comes down to getting McConnell, the Trump enabler, out of power so that Trump will fall and a semblance of democracy can rise from the ashes.
12
To the surprise of no one, more and more sordid details of this scandal are coming to light. With or without Bolton or anyone else's testimony, the truth will out. And the Republicans' continuing denials won't stop it from coming.
12
So many reliable witnesses already testified. There is nothing new, it is more added to a case proved.
1
Bolton won’t be pleased about Trump calling him a liar, but I wonder if that will be enough to make him go public with everything in an effort to hurt Trump. And, at this point, I wonder if that would even work. I predict we’ll see a lot of people; surrogates, senators, former diplomats and strategists who once worked with and approved of Bolton, publicly disparaging him on Fox News and elsewhere.
8
@Julia Bolton won't talk to hurt trump, but he will talk if its about his own integrity, calling someone a liar will set things in motion. If telling the truth does hurt trump, so be it, Americans deserve nothing less.
2
When I try to explain something that is surprising I find that it is always money, sex or power. Bolton was fired from a position of power and he has a book coming out that he wants to make a lot of money on. It is entirely possible that the President was concerned about corruption in Ukraine including by potentially both Bidens. I don't have a problem with that. I expect the Senate, like the House, does not want to delay this trial indefinitely and will expeditiously acquit the President without witnesses beyond the 17 that the House had and which are incorporated in the Senate trial.The House also chose not to delay the process with court proceedings on executive privilege which the President is sure to assert.
2
What other corruption has the president been looking into? Can you think of one other incident where Trump was having his lawyers investigate corruption of ANY other people. Just a coincidence that the only corruption Trump has come across happens to involve his political rival. Beside the fact that both republicans, democrats, and all of our international allies supported Biden getting rid of Shokin. Shokin was shaking down Ukraine companies, forcing them to pay him in order for him to stall investigations into them. And one of those companies whose investigation Shokin was stalling, was the company Biden’s son worked for. Removing Shokin didn’t help that company at all. Soon after Shokin left, Burisma was convicted of a crime and have had to pay fines. Their government is still looking into other allegations against them.
Chaos reigns supreme in all things Trump. And always to his advantage. The Bolton revelations, the Parnas tape...none of it matters because it all contributes to the chaos that is this presidency. He and McConnell want us to believe that nothing is true. It is all part of the political mix. They are winning.
6
I think that it was always the sheer curiosity.
Will the size of the Clinton Foundation overtake the US economy if she is elected?
Will Hunter become richer than Bezos?
Bolton must now be brought in to testify.
Demand no less. Even though the case against Trump has been proven already, the court of public opinion needs to see the name brand players speak in the senate chamber.
9
The truth will come out one way or another. Even if its in a book. You know how we know Bolton's version is the truth? The fact Trump and his men were texting and saying "no quid pro quo". Tells you they knew that is exactly what it was and that they knew it was wrong. That and locking calls up in the most highly classified server to try and hide their misdeeds.
10
Bolton o my way of thinking is the type of politician who speaks from his heart as a bonified hawk. He doe s not mince words and I may not agree with what he says but will defend to the death his right to say it.
Trump according to the Washington Post has lied over 16,000 times to the American public, instigated division in the country, and supports hate groups who vote for him.
It is clear how is telling the truth, but will Republicans listen or continue to hold power and party before justice and country?
7
Schiff's memorable closing argument kept repeating: "Right matters."
The truth is: to the GOP, not anymore.
12
In John Bolton’s manuscript, we now have the smoking gun needed to convict Trump. If the president’s supporters in the Senate refuse to call Bolton as a witness, they will be guilty of dereliction of duty. If they vote to acquit Trump, knowing that Bolton confirms that his former boss wanted an illegal quid pro quo from Ukraine, they will have failed to do their duty, and must not be reelected.
9
Bolton should insist on being allowed to testify. If he doesn't it looks like. all he wrote the book about. was for the money.
3
Just this weekend, the NY Times reported that it took the Iranian govenment three days to acknowldge its responsibilty for its Ukraine scandel. Three months in, the US government has yet to take responsiblity for its.
12
By the number of times the Constitution is brought up here, one would think that it enshrines the right of any government employee to make his family filthy rich.
Off of the foreign countries he is in charge of. Without any interference from the President, who is in charge of rooting out corruption.
This enrichment is supposed to be sacrosanct especially for those who run for becoming future US presidents, since nothing is more important for the country than electing a president who enriches his family from foreigners.
Nothing is more important for the Democrats now. As they view it, the survival of the United States depends on it.
Alas, the Founding Fathers forgot to put that fundamental right to unbothered enrichment in the great document.
@novoad Alas, indeed. The Founding Fathers were men of wealth and property, including slaves. Their wealthy had endowed them w/education and knowledge of the ideals of their time, including the notion of a democracy, as Franklin put it,if you can keep it. Franklin an example of a different sort of Founding Fathers , a Quaker and printer, not a Washington or Jefferson, nor a Madison, all who were slave owners. We're a long way from there w/the current president and GOP.
Fox News suggests that Bolton somehow maneuvered the release of information about Ukraine In order to get pre-orders for his book.
Sure, no problem. That doesn’t negate the truth of what he wrote in the book.
So let the sales begin and let’s read the book. Oh then Fox News will say sour grapes.
5
Trump has always contended the aid was withheld until Ukraine announced that they were going to investigate the DNC Ukrainian connections to the interference in the 2016 election (Russia interfered too). Since Biden was point for the Obama Administration with Ukraine in 2015-2016 it is perfectly logical that the request to investigate these ties includes the role that Biden had in the interference and what kind of quid pro quo they provided the Bidens by getting their drug addicted son a $1 million a year gig with Burisma.
I don't blame Biden since he watched Hillary make hundreds of millions monetizing her SecState role while Obama watched idly by.
Biden was just trying to take care of his son and since everyone knew Hillary was going to win in 2016, none of this was ever going to come out..
Let's go to the Ukrainian court documents which show the # of officials convicted of interfering in our election...and their ties to the rampant corruption Ukraine..of which BUrisma was the poster child.
2
@ Erica Smythe
Ok, fine. But let’s look at the rampant corruption in our own house, the White House, first, why don’t we?
Trump is a threat to the integrity of our election process.
Trump is a threat to our national security.
8
Sources, please?
1. Hunter Biden probably got the Burisma board position because his father was V.P. but it sounds like you have info that Joe engineered it. If that was fact, wouldn't it be part of Trump's impeachment defense?
2. I don't recall Hillary making hundreds of millions while she was Sec. of State or afterwards. She was paid for a book deal after she lost in 2016. The Clinton Foundation flourished for many years, but I also don't recall Hillary personally benefiting. She sure as heck never paid a $2m fine for abusing trust funds nor was she and her daughter permanently barred from running a NY non-profit.
4
@Erica Smythe
Trump is a proven serial liar. Why should we believe anything he says or be given the benefit of a doubt about anything?
4
It’s the final straw! A reliable anonymous source, I never met , told my best friend’s nephew’s wife—it’s all over for Trump! Right?
3
This Republican Senate is a disgrace. Perhaps when someone
loses their life, as a result of the hateful and threatening tweets from this Creature in the White House, they'll wake up.
Adam Schiff is a courageous man, may he be safe.
9
It deeply saddening to see how quickly and easily the top of the executive branch of the U.S. government has become essentially a lawless regime (sometimes functioning mote like a banana republic than a representative democracy).
Even more saddening are the Senate Republicans who could actually stop this freefall into autocracy behave in nothing less than a craven manner complete with utter obsequiousness and trembling genuflecting to their Dear Leader in the Oval Office.
If they choose to ignore the facts already laid out in the articles of impeachment *and* Bolton's damning evidence, then this slide to full autocracy might be too far along to stop.
Disgraceful, and also a sobering example to the rest of the world's democracies of how quickly and easily things can fall apart and institutions crumble into meaninglessness.
11
Few sights are more pathetic than that of an aging con man like Trump being incapable of grasping the fact his lies are no longer working, that he can no longer outrun his past statements, and that he has no credibility left whatsoever.
Convict and execute our draft-dodging Criminal-in-Chief for treason as he fully deserves, before Putin can grant him asylum for a job well done.
P.S. Give it 1-2 days before Trump's position changes to "Yes, I said that to Bolton but it doesn't matter."
9
If true, so what! Biden’s should have been investigated. If Bolton testifies, Hunter and Joe must too! No matter, no impeachable offenses occurred and President will be acquitted.
3
@Bill Weber please tell us what information the Biden's or any of us here commenting would bring to trial when we are not relevant to trumps perfect phone. If I were Hunter Biden I would just claim the 5th, no different than trump using executive privilege. If the Biden's have committed a crime of any kind it should be investigated and then go forward on its on findings. Trump's actions alone are what got him Impeached, nothing to do with actions of anyone else.
3
So another unsubstantiated claim, the press is dead.
4
@ Knute
Thank God the first amendment is NOT dead yet.
A free press is vital to a democracy, speaking truth to power.
The first thing autocrats and despots do in taking over a democracy is control the press.
There is a reason freedom of speech is protected in the 1st Amendment of our Constitution.
4
Facts just get in the way. Stick to the plan, stave off the witnesses and evidence, then vote acquittal. Then use the acquittal “victory” as an election-brag against the “loser” Dems.
8
This whole impeachment story going to make a great movie! I bet Hollywood is salivating!
Stephanie Griffin shills for Trump on Fox and Friends. Say's Bolton's book is just "wrong". Really? He's just doubling down on his lie's. Witnesses! Now.
6
Trump put brown kids in cages at the Southern border. For that, the Evangelical bigots that make up the base will turn a blind eye to corruption. Plus they’re use to corruption. Evangelical leaders, like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham are masters at making sure the money they raise for charity feathers their own nest first.
10
Since the Trump/GOP defense seems to consist of “Never question Dear Leader!”, I don’t think Bolton’s or anyone else’s factual testimony or evidence will undermine it at all.
7
Since Bolton's testimony is already published via book leaks and NYT unethical extrapolations without cross-examinations a la Schiff and company, Trump's aggressive but perfectly appropriate vetting of Ukraine is confirmed. Who could Trump have trusted to do the investigations? the biased FBI, Comey? Strzok? McCabe? Brennan? Clapper? or even Obama, who foolishly put Biden in charge of Ukraine and China policy?
2
Bolton bombshell undercuts Trump impeachment defense.
"I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination". - Donald Trump
Mens Rea, "Mr Trump", refers to criminal intent. The literal translation from Latin is "guilty mind." The plural of mens rea is mentes reae. A mens rea refers to the state of mind statutorily required in order to convict a particular defendant of a particular crime.
5
So Boltons lawyer is saying the release of the book draft is coming from the White House. Hunmmm. Democrats are played again.
2
@Mkm the truth is Americans are played again! Doesn’t matter democrats republicans or independents. All Americans have been lied to.
5
Democrats live in a parallel reality. Their standards and expectations are different. They are expected to act morally and design policies that work for everyone.
6
"In The Room Where It Happened" is the book title. Did Bolton obtain permission from Lin Manuel Miranda to use that song title from Hamilton ? I'd like Bolton to really step into the room and make it (indictment and removal) happen.
13
US dollars are withheld to achieve an objective deemed of interest. And?
2
...A crime is committed.
This game is easy!
6
@Brian in FL
And the objective of interest was Trump's re-election. Got it?
5
Only of interest to Trump, not the nation
3
The republican party is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the trump organization.
Soon to donald's latest bankruptcy.
18
@JFM
JFM, his latest bankruptcy will be the USA. A trillion dollar deficit will bring the national debt to 25trillion dollars. Even if we assume that the interest on the national debt is 1% that amounts to 250billions. And if the debt is left alone for 4yrs. assuming simple interest - that's another trillion dollars. All heading towards bankruptcy.
3
I think it's pretty clear that while Bolton is running around talking to Barr, Pompeo, Esper and Mulvany they are all letting Trump know what's going on with Bolton. Bolton is then fired or resigns, but these are all the characters of our "deep state" Each and every one.
Add to this list Pence, Ron Johnson, McConnell, Cruz, Rubio, Collins, Kennedy, Jordan, Gaetz, Seleznik, and Meadows and then some!
All have been trying to gaslight America.
And this may be a little more gaslighting here:
"Mr. Trump had effectively rebuffed them, airing his longstanding grievances about Ukraine, ""which mixed legitimate efforts by some Ukrainians to back his Democratic 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton"", with unsupported accusations and outright conspiracy theories about the country, a key American ally"
In what way did Ukrainians back Clinton? They wanted her to win? Backed financially? Is the server buried in Ukraine?This is a proven Russian talking point, and Trump is a proven liar...
9
The GOP normally plays the long game which is why we are in this mess but they’re really being shortsighted here. They will vote to acquit but tons of damaging information is going to come out after the fact.
Putin is playing the long game, once he gets Trump illegally elected again...he will no longer have any use for him as a lame duck then.....he will pull the rug out from under the GOP to show how he manipulated all of them. The only side Putin is on is to create chaos in our country.
16
Face it, the Dems are locked out trying to topple Trump. Their vitriolic blather, as true as some of it may be, is not effective. But what hurts the Dems the most is when Adam Schiff goes on national TV and tells the Senate that they must impeach and remove the President, implying that Mr. Schiff doesn't trust the voters to do the right thing come November. The right thing for who, Mr. Schiff or the American people? Takes a tyrant to know a tyrant, huh?
6
How can anyone trust the voting process when Trump barely won before because of the EC, the GOP cheats all the time, and we know other nation's have interfered in our elections?
9
Trump is destroying the Republican Party. It is time for true conservatives to form an ethical third party to represent conservative policies on the environment (that means actual conservation), government financing, rule of law, etc. Liberalism needs a reality check to avoid is worst excesses.
2
@Solon Rhode
This is the most reasonable response I have heard!
1
What are you taking about? I am a Democrat and a no fan of Trump’s but Trump is not ruining the Republican Party. They love him. They have total power to get rid of him and get Pence in but they don’t want to. How is Trump ruining the Republican party? He is the party and they love him. Nothing is stopping Republican Senators from impeaching him or convicting him. They don’t want to. If a Democrat did what Trump did , they would convict as would the Democrats. The Republicans want power and Trump is popular and they support him. It is their choice and they have no morals or ethics and don’t care
9
We are groaning weary of the republican's half century long cynical charade of governance.
It is beyond absurd that a man like Bolton might become liberalism's latest great white hope of the moment!
But... There it is!
6
Says the man who tweets out constant vile juvenile abuse at anyone who doesn’t bow down to him:
“”The problem with John is it’s a national security problem,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference in Davos, Switzerland. “He knows some of my thoughts. He knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it’s not very positive?””
Yes, what happens if it is revealed that Mr. Trump’s not-very-positive thoughts about certain leaders were to somehow be revealed and become widely known?!?
5
I'm not surprsised at any of this. The NYT comes out with a story that Bolton said in his upcoming book that Trump told him that he wanted to withhold aid to Ukraine until they agreed to investigate Democrats including the Biden's and that that accusation would come out the night before Trump's legal team mounts his defense in his impeachment trial. This is laughable because once again it is meaningless to the trial and is obviously designed to sell books for Bolton and for the NYT to make one more attempt at trying to damage Trump. Once again, it is not what one says, but what one actually does. Trump did not do anything wrong or illegal even if what Bolton said is true, simply because there wasn't any action taken and the fact that Trump is saying immediately . Trump fired back on Twitter on Sunday to refute Bolton's claims, saying he "NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Biden's." Trump went on to accuse Bolton of trying to "sell a book," noting that Bolton did not complain publicly or privately about the aid holdup "at the time of his very public termination."
2
Not true. Its established fact that trump broke the law when he withheld the money... but of course, facts mean nothing to Republicans.
9
@NYChap
And Trump tweeted he never spoke with Lev Parnas.
7
The problem is that we now exist in a troubling universe where, despite the overwhelming amount of evidence pointing to corruption, obstruction and incompetence, we somehow treat each new bit of evidence as if it finally proves that Trump is a crook. The evidence of Trump being a crook and a fool was there for all to see before he even got elected. The GOP’s disturbing fealty to Trump is the root cause of all this, but it is enabled by the press who insist on calling senators like Collins, Romney, Murkowski, Alexander and Flake before he quit “moderates” whenever they are mentioned. Doing a little dance to look like you’re a moderate every time you are faced with a shameful vote while always doing the opposite of what is actually right and just at that vote does not make you a moderate. Further, falling for this pathetic act only serves to legitimize the dangerous alternate reality that we exist in today, where Fox News and other right wing conspiracy theory incubators can now say whatever they want, and despite how loony the misinformation is, that information is then treated as something to be considered by everyone else. These are scary times.
11
@Ernie Thanks for putting it so clearly from the state of Maine. We are in a state of alternative reality. The National Enquirer is or has always been laughed at for its tabloid sensibilities; Fox News ups the ante to tv and all who own large tvs and those "barracuda" loungers watch it for the gospel it provides. These are indeed scary times.
If you look back at all of what was said about Trump in 2015-2016 by the likes of Lindsey Graham. And look at him now. Things have changed. Trump has bought the House of the Senate and the Republican party. "Go! stay at my Trump Hotel for free, visit my golf resort, and drink at my bar's for free!" don't worry, I will send the bill to the American taxpayer. #EmolumentClause "Please, don't you forget to turn a blind eye to my corrupt ways." Bolton testimony might not change anything, when the Republican Senate are corrupt themselves.
9
If you look back at all of what was said about Trump in 2015-2016 by the likes of Lindsey Graham. And look at him now. Things have changed. Trump has bought the House of the Senate and the Republican party. "Go! stay at my Trump Hotel for free, visit my golf resort, and drink at my bar's for free!" don't worry, I will send the bill to the American taxpayer. #EmolumentClause "Please, don't you forget to turn a blind eye to my corrupt ways." Bolton testimony might not change anything, when the Republican Senate are corrupt themselves.
If you look back at all of what was said about Trump in 2015-2016 by the likes of Lindsey Graham. And look at him now. Things have changed. Trump has bought the House of the Senate and the Republican party. "Go! stay at my Trump Hotel for free, visit my golf resort, and drink at my bar's for free!" don't worry, I will send the bill to the American taxpayer. #EmolumentClause "Please, don't you forget to turn a blind eye to my corrupt ways." Bolton testimony might not change anything, when the Republican Senate are corrupt themselves.
John Bolton is not an American patriot, he’s a self serving Washington creature who cares more about attention and a a big book deal than any of his supposed political ideals.
Don’t look to John Bolton for help with impeachment. He stands for absolutely nothing but himself, and sees the impeachment only as another means for self-promotion.
3
You can't just wear the T-shirt, "THOUGH."
You have to actually
"READ the transcript."
1
Can Congress vote to impeach or censure Barr? He lied. Not shocking at all, but for the love of God, he is supposed to be the AG of the COUNTRY! Someone please put an end to this tirade of evil people in charge.
15
@JG
Barr will do/say anything for a seat on SCOTUS.
Various commentaries have suggested that the Republicans will "suffer at election time" if they do not hear and pay attention to witnesses. Not really, those voters who have not made up their minds regardless of the evidence will not have any response. The attention span of the average voter is less than that of a two-year old. This has been shown time after time, ad infinitum, ad nauseum...
10
This should be simple. Call the witnesses for both sides, have the trial, let the chips fall and LET'S MOVE ON ALREADY.
6
Donald Trump is attacking the American political system and the Constitution that defines its architecture.
John Bolton has facts to share with us all.
I applaud him for coming forward, and I would ask him to continue speaking truthfully and extensively about what he knows to be the case in the strange Donald Trump saga.
I certainly look forward to buying many copies of his book. Please publish it before the end of October!
2
@Maria Ashot
I agree. I don't agree with Mr. Bolton's neo-con politics but I do believe he is a patriot and is disgusted with the Senate sham.
Is there anyone on this planet who honestly doubted for a second that Trump wasn't withholding the aid for his own personal political gain?
31
The charge that Bolton wanted to profit from his book rather than reveal what he knows in an interview is shocking. I am not sure it is true because the book will surely sell well even if he does an interview. Authors do interviews all the time. Something else is going on here. The leak is deliberate. Who is pulling whose strings, and why?
6
Trump withheld foreign aid to pressure a foreign country to investigate his political rivals. That is a high crime and he must be removed.
12
Bolton's book will be out and the truth will come out. The hope is the 2020 election will remove Trump even if the Senate will not. Perhaps some new non-GOP Senators will allow the checks and balances to work again.
7
So what?
The missile deliveries were never slowed down or interrupted, the money was ultimately delivered on time and the Ukraine inquiries never happened.
Next time around, find a crime. Not a thoughtcrime.
2
Come again? The aid was delayed, it ended up being released only because the House received the whistleblower's complaint, and Trump clearly broke federal law. A U.S. official cannot solicit foreign government interference in our elections.
The GAO also found that Trump broke the law by not releasing the funds, violating long-standing laws and practice that bind administrations to spending what has been duly approved by Congress.
In addition, the excuse that Trump was trying to root out corruption is belied by the fact that his own Defense and State departments had reviewed the situation in Ukraine and found the government there was going after corruption. Plus, Trump never mentioned corruption, only the Bidens!
Facts matter. Laws matter. The U.S. constitution does, too!
7
@novoad,
The congressionally-approved aid was delayed as per Trump’s order.
As delay is an action, not a thought.
Try harder my friend.
5
@novoad No, Trump broke the law....he just didn't succeed in the goal of getting Ukraine to interfere in the election. "I shot the guy but didn't manage to kill him like I wanted" isn't a defense. Not for a president. But thanks for telling us there's going to be a next time. We knew.
8
If more continues to spill forth about Trump’s lies and obstruction on this matter and the Senate acquits him, can he be impeached again in the House, or is there some sort of double indemnity rule? Just curious.
4
Although Trump does not drink, he behaves like an alcoholic in that he blames everyone else around him for the woes of his actions. The GOP in the House and the Senate is akin to the spouse and family, enabling his behavior and actions by making excuses as to not be mortified further by association but it is clear to all what a toxic relationship has taken hold.
Trump is drunk on power as shown in both egregious actions and words. He has abused his political supporters to the point of submission and deference. It is not pride or patriotism that girds Trump's GOP support but fear of retribution, loss of station in life.
The most heartbreaking of all of this is not just the indelible stain of history it will leave on them as individuals, the Senate, and the GOP writ large but all of us. If we act as if nothing has changed and send these same folks back to represent us, then the distinction is lost and we will all stand with them. And while there may be no consequence to Trump or the GOP, can you say the same for the rest of us?
9
Drafts of the book?
Really?
You mean the drafts submitted to the White House and IC to determine what's covered under Executive Privilege?
And the fact the NYT got it instead of the WaPo simply means the CIA has once again taken the bull by the horns to undermine the will of the people.
Eric C and Colonel Vindman are in this for the long game..
They want roles in the next Admninstration..likely CIA Director and Director of National Security.
2
Erica, you are probably right that there are lots of people with a vested interest behind Bolton’s book and the Times reporting.
So I KNOW you would then support getting Bolton and the others mentioned in his book under oath to testify at Trump’s impeachment trial and see how they hold up under questioning and cross examination. That is how democracies such as ours resolve the issues and conflicts you identify.
So let’s here from him and the others ....right??
7
Wow. You do love your conspiracy theories. What proof do you have that the leak was by the CIA? It could have been anyone in the Trump admin with clearance to see it and review it for content. We know there are people in his admin that are working to limit his damage to the republic. Regardless of who the leaker is, I applaud him or her since this man is a pathological lier and hopelessly corrupt. He simply must go. If he were smart, which he is not, he would resign and continue to enrich himself from his past presidency. But he is not smart. As for the will of the people, do you not know that he lost the popular vote? So, if the election had been determined simply by the people’s will, this grifter would not be president today. Pretty simple, really.
9
This is just the type of argument I would expect Russian operatives to interject into America’s elections to sow distrust among our citizens.
7
I've never been a fan of Bolton the self-serving hawk. And now, if his book is to be believed and causes GOP senators to do the right thing, this hawk, in all likelihood, stands to be the one to save our shriveling democracy.
32
"Trump Tied Ukraine Aid to Inquiries He Sought, Bolton Book Says"
Yeah, So? As far as Pres. Trump was concerned, he believed, as Peter Schweizer has recently revealed in his new book, "Profiles of Corruption," Joe Biden was the head of a vast family shakedown scheme stretching back years and millions of dollars that needed to be exposed.
6
@batazoid And Trump family corruption that we see daily? Trump is only interested in Biden because he sees him as a political threat.
9
@batazoid: If Trump was honestly interested in investigating corruption, he should have, as POTUS, used the many above-board legal investigatory means at his disposal. He should not have used his sketchy personal lawyer and his sketchy henchmen.
And if you truly believe that Trump is honestly interested in “fighting corruption” — contrary to his extensive personal history of corrupt business schemes and the many legal judgements against him — well, I have a gold-plated condo that I don’t actually own but I’m willing to sell you for a “very great” price.
12
@batazoid - "the head of a vast family shakedown scheme stretching back years and millions of dollar"
Trump projecting his MO onto others assuming what he does others must do as well. Except that Biden family is significantly less vast than the Trump clam spread over generations back to the original grifter and then onto multiple wives and affairs.
8
Trump can dis-credit Bolton all he wants but it will be hard for the GOP Senators to deny him testimony under oath. Meets the definition of a "conundrum". If not now, then certainly in the House. Once again, the coverup is worse than the crime
28
Not allowing Bolton to testify is clearly a cover-up. Democrats should start using Republican tactics and pointing that out at every occasion. Every interview they give should include the word "cover-up" just as trump says "no collusion."
41
The Book draft is yet one more example of trump being a Liar.
I'd like to say I'm shocked, but in truth, I'm horrified that 35% of this once great Nation still follows such a con artist.
51
Can we please stop being polite and sophisticated with a term like quid pro quo? How learned we sound. Call it what it is so the ordinary person grasps the import of Trump's behavior. It is extortion, blackmail and/or bribery. Folks understand what that means.
And it is not the President says. It is the President lies, again.
50
Bolton is like all of the other old white and no so wise guys who have courted the WH and been courted by this president. They have no shame and no morals. I don't believe for a second that John Bolton is willing to testify to save the country. None of these Republican jokers are. They all are in this for themselves like the man at the top. This has been the story of America for 3+ years . Nothing in the trial this week will change. There will be no witnesses because if witnesses are called, the trump show will be over. On the other hand, if witnesses like Bolton are not allowed to testify, We, the Voters will take notice. Bolton will finish his book, which will go onto a dust pile with all the other books written about the trump saga in the past 3 years, Mc Connell and his retinue of Senateurs and Sénatrices will finally pack their bags and maybe we can turn the page....
5
@SDW...call your Senators....make your voice heard.
5
This is clearly illegal. The voters might just have to deal with Trump in November because Republicans senators are busy making all sorts of excuses to give themselves an escape hatch not to call any witnesses to confirm Trump's illegal behavior.
16
Any comments critiquing Bolton’s ethics for only speaking out now in a manner that promotes his book only add to the picture of president who employs dodgy people.
There is no defense for this that actually works.
6
Based on our experience with Trump, to assume that Trump ever tells the truth is far-fetched. The thousands of lies, and on a daily basis, paints him as someone who cries wolf all the time, because denial seems to help him. Denial with threats of heads on pikes keeps his followers in line.
But in this serious rejection of his current version of why he withheld Ukrainian aid, one would think that if there was any truth in the Republican version that Trump's main or only concern was ridding Ukraine of corruption, then one would think the lawyers would take advantage of the chance of cross-examining Bolton to show that he, not Trump, is the liar. If they are afraid of this chance to question Bolton, what does that tell us? Only a pig-headed Republican lapdog would still say that Bolton's account is the false one.
13
Who could possibly believe that Trump is more capable of identifying information of sensitive national security than John Bolton? The only information that Trump, the habitual tweeter, deems worthy of nondisclosure is anything that might get him in trouble, period.
16
The case against Trump is clear. The Constitutional duty is clear. All that remains to be seen is whether the United States of America is a ship willing to go down with its captain.
19
Quite frankly it’s likely that the Republican senate leadership, the AG and Trump’s legal team were all aware of Bolton’s testimony and therefore should all be charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and ultimately disbarment.
26
Trump Tied Ukraine Aid to Demands for Inquiries? Yes, we know, because we heard it from witnesses who said so under oath—witnesses who are infinitely more honorable and reliable than John Bolton. And yet, here we are acting as if John Bolton is the one whose word matters.
Like so many other things in the time of Trump, it is nonsensical, the bizarro opposite of the reality-based world. Only this time it's the media's failure, not Trump's. The cliffhanger serialization of the news has gotten out of hand.
29
@Mike
Bolton was a lot closer to Trump than many of the witnesses that have testified. Trump is rightfully worried.
1
I think now the Republican Senators have no choice but to call witnesses or at least Bolton. They can not close their eyes anymore . Americans want to know all the facts. This is not Russia or China or North Korea, this is America . Loyalty to voters is more important than loyalty to Trump. What and how much the GOP senators along with Trump WhiteHouse are hiding and why? Why they are scared of truth and people?
22
@ ASHRAF On one level, you rightly echo Lt. Col. Vindman’s sentiments. Indeed, you express the aspirations of the American idea. Unfortunately, Republicans have adopted a cynical view and exploited it by appealing to disillusioned voters. Meanwhile, they’ve made their fortunes doing it. In short, they are afraid their corruption of the American ideal will be revealed in all of its ugliness. Keep the faith. You have plenty of company for your hopes.
2
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY Unfortunately “right” no longer matters. Only power matters. We are on the path to an autocracy, a kakistocracy or dictatorship.
Trump won the election by cheating employing Russian help and Brad Parscale’s social media propaganda.
How any American can look at Donald and see presidential material is shocking to me.
1
@Laura
"on the path to autocracy...."?.......we are there!!
The President's legal counsels may not claim executive privilege on this specific issue now: Trump has just tweeted that he "NEVER" told Bolton that he was blocking the military aid until the Ukranians accepted to announe the political investigations.
The President has clearly renounced invoking privilege (if any existed) by making it directly public in such a way.
29
So NPR just revealed (7:00) that it had scheduled a GOP guest who was able to manage to cancel his appearance because of the Bolton thunderbolt (he expressly said this was why he was canceling) but can't quite manage to actually DO something with this knowledge.
Now watch. This revelation will do nothing, which will merely double-down on the crisis. Bill Maher noted on Friday that it has become clear that no revelation, no matter how explicit will move the GOP to do the right thing, a sentiment I've shared throughout the entire proceedings.
So this revelation will not help the country; it will merely exacerbate the crisis because it will now be clear how emboldened the GOP traitors are.
But we should not be allowed to ever forget this: In a functioning democracy, there would already have been at least a dozen revelations that would have triggered the GOP to do the right thing. That they have failed every single one of these tests/turning points IS the crisis.
39
let's get clear on one thing. executive privilege isn't a real thing. it isn't in the constitution or law anywhere. it is just a concept. the concept is that "discussions and advice" that are not acted upon are irrelevant and the prejudicial value of such information outweighs the probative value as you did not act on it. Once you act on it, it no longer is protected by this concept known as executive privilege. it is not advise or discussion, it is actions you took. it is now fully discoverable as to how and why you did.
21
Well, Adam Schiff did tell them that more will spill out, and continue to spill out.
At this point it doesn't matter if they "acquit" Trump. Leaks pointing to malfeasance will continue all year, damaging his re-election chances. And making Republicans look like his fools. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if somehow the tax returns are leaked.
Even with an acquittal it's going to be a very bumpy year for Trump.
26
The impeachment trial ultimately is about civility vs incivility; about honor vs disgrace; about fair play vs cheating; about inspired and informed leadership vs ignorance and self interest; about America’s vision and dreams vs one person’s self serving destructiveness; and it’s about maintaining (or restoring) the balance of power between the three divisions of government that the founders so brilliantly devised and enshrined in the Constitution.
I am struck by how fortunate the US Senators are to have such a simple and profoundly important choice before them. Would that many other of such profoundly consequential decisions in life could be so simple.
So now we will soon learn whether those Senators have the Strength, Wisdom, and Courage to make the right decision.
With these ideas in mind, I reflect on the scathing tweet the leader of the free world’s greatest power issued A couple of days ago disparaging and House Impeachment Managers and others...What a shameful and repulsive gesture by the President of the United States of America....Sir, have you no decency?
Like I said, the decision is simple. God help us if the Senators lack the courage and character to make it.
22
It is time for Mr. Bolton to be the next John Dean and tell the truth to the American people about Trump, hi inner circle and their coverup - history will judge him kindly. We all know by now that the senate and house GOP have no backbone and cannot handle the truth.
13
Seriously, how any anybody say there wasn't a crime, abuse of power, and a coverup? And keep a straight face?
22
"He (Bolton) knows my thoughts...the problem with John is its a national security problem", this coming from someone whose stream of consciousness is constantly verbalized.
Since the White House had this draft for almost a month and has sought to stop any testimony, is this not further proof of the obstruction spoken of by the President 5 days ago, "honestly we have all the materials, they don't have the materials"
5 days ago and still no move by Senate GOP on discovery!
Listening to further utterances "Take her out" I'm reminded of remarks made by an actor who portrayed legendary crime bosses in film, that the President thinks he's a gangster.
At the time it seemed rather shocking that anyone would say this about our President...
16
Just sent a contribution to Collins Democratic opponent. The woman needs to go. If she was honorable, she would vote for not just witnesses but impeachment.
22
As if this will make any difference whatsoever....
10
Mission accomplished for Bolton— no matter what, his book will be top the bestseller list. And every time Trump attacks Bolton, sales will rise further.
8
By the time Trump is out of office, it will be too late. The tentacles of his corruption have invaded every corner of federal government.
13
Well look folks, it was obvious before Bolton's confirmation that Trump withheld the Oval Office visit and the military aid pending a public announcement of a Ukrainian investigation of the Biden's. We've learned nothing new there. But now we look to see how Trump's cover up in the Senate will be twisted, stretched, squeezed, pulled, adjusted, manipulated, and Fox Noised to deal with what has been confirmed to the public by an eye witness.
The Republican senators are being squeezed tighter. Their dilemma isn't that they must choose between Trump and truth - their dilemma is that they have chosen Trump but must somehow slither around to claim it is the truth? The wiggle room is nonexistent but they are persistent. So now this becomes the key question:
Republican senators are aware that the American people KNOW the truth (and MOST DO CARE), so how will they brush the TRUTH (and the American people) aside to deliver the acquittal that McConnell and Trump DEMAND?
Let's watch them squirm! Trump will be acquitted, but in the meantime we can enjoy the Trump-McConnell production of a penny dreadful show-trial being staged by Republicans in the Senate. Afterwards we can let the Senate players know what we think of their performance. Are you collecting your rotten tomatoes and committing to do your part in the November Senate cleaning?
27
One can't say Trump doesn't deserve a taste of his own ratings-and-awe medicine.
2
The likelihood of 51 votes for witnesses is dwindling???
With additional corroborating information coming out almost daily, how can this be the case? My only answer is that the corruption of the Republican Party is now complete. Clearly winning elections and maintaining their control over the government (including policies that most Americans don’t want) is more important to them than what’s right for the country.
We, and most of them, know in their hearts what happened and that it’s wrong. Continuing to ignore that simple fact is corrupt and unpatriotic.
27
If John Bolton wants to set the record straight, what is the difference between testifying in the House, and testifying in the Senate? At least they wanted to listen to him in the House.
12
The fact that inside players keep leaking testimony should tell Republicans that naysaying to testimony before they acquit ,as they've banana republic promised to do, will not end the trial of DJ Trump. The complete absence of responsibility or accountability begs the question of the Senate's existence as a governing body. Do we the Duma now, the rubber stamp of corruption? Chickens for the voters to do your job? Trump may like the limelight, negative or not, but stonewalling isn't leadership.
4
The Republican Senators are determined to see that Trump stays in power even though he is reckless and self-serving at the expense of all of us. John Bolton should have testified during the House Inquiry and now wants to save himself? Please!
5
Someone please tell Mr. Bolton that a final chapter in his book detailing how he was subpoenaed and gave fill in the blanks testimony under oath would be a great read.
Maybe that will (self) serve as impetus for him to tell what he knows.
1
The release of the draft may serve a dual purpose. The Senate may now be forced to allow witnesses, including him, and his book promotion gets a boost.
What bothers me more than what DJT is accused of is the behavior of the Senate Republicans. Hopefully, this may bring them back to reality.
3
"The White House has ordered Mr. Bolton and other key officials with firsthand knowledge of Mr. Trump’s dealings not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry."
In my 68 years, as a good student of American history in school, as a kid who woke up every morning to see The US Capitol out my DC bedroom window, I never suspected the US president had such far reaching autocratic powers. I grew up to believe he/she worked for us not vice-versa and in the checks and balances of three separate entities. When Trump leaves office, the Legislative and the Judicial Departments need to clarify rules about presidential abuse of power. What used to be courtesies - releasing the president's taxes etc.- unfortunately need to be hammered into law thanks to the childish dictator in The White House. This is a democracy!
30
We have the smoking gun. We have the emerging coronavirus pandemic. What's an honorable President to do? Martial law, that's it! This is just getting started.
9
To all those who keep saying that history will not be kind to republicans: they don’t care, they write their own history books. See Texas.
35
The Democrats’ impeachment managers should immediately ask the chief justice to issue subpoenas for key witnesses and documents, the first of whom should be Bolton.
18
Don't think Pelosi is brilliant? She delayed until she put McConnell and the Republicans in a box on Bolton. This is a no win situation for McConnell because the book and information is out and now he will be hard pressed to deny having Bolton testify. If he does and Bolton's book comes out and confirms it was a sham trial then the Senate Republicans are in trouble.
13
@flyfysher And of course Pelosi knew about Bolton's book because...
Man, she should start doing the horoscope. She would have so many clients.
"He also sent a draft to the White House for a standard review process for some current and former administration officials who write books."
We all know the president has numerous sharpies. The "Hurricane" sharpie had black ink; the one he will use to edit Bolton's Ukraine accounts will be a red one -- as in GOP "red".
6
Of course the presidents attorneys today will only say that this strengthens their case that they have no revisions to make...everything is as clear as a bell
2
@Darryl Cera I had the same thought. Somehow, Trump's adoring base will be excited by this. They'll have a new enemy! So weird.
2
THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG! The fact that the NY Times has published this article means that Roberts, in theory, could order that the evidence be submitted to him for review, so he could determine its relevance. I believe that there is nothing preventing the Democratic leadership from entering this article into the Congressional Record for all members of Congress to read. Were Roberts to order the book submitted as evidence and that order be defied, it would theoretically be an obstruction of justice. John Bolton is smart enough to know what material could or could not be published, with a view toward claims of national security. The Democratic leadership can petition Roberts to order that the manuscript be submitted by the White House for his private review. Perhaps a deus ex machina will emerge, a figure like Edward Snowden, to publish Bolton's manuscript. In my view the existence of Bolton's unpublished manuscript is a game changer. Trump, in theory, would be forbidden from suppressing the manuscript with claims of national security, were that order to be given in order to shield him from prosecution for crimes. Trump and White House officials have a figurative hot potato sitting in their laps. Will they choose, allegorically, to have their hands burnt? Roberts voted his conscience on the Affordable Care Act. I most fervently hope that he will act on his conscience to save our democracy in this case, with all due speed. We The People need that to survive Trump.
25
Certainly provides very compelling testimony that the President misused his power to benefit himself and probably his friend in the Kremlin. To continue to block key witnesses at the impeachment trial both the White House and Senate Republicans are complicit in obstruction of justice and coverup. With these unauthorized relaeases of Mr Bolton's book, the public's right to know is triggered and pardon the expression, "trumps", Executive Privileged. A bell has now been rung and cannot be unrung.
10
If every statement in Bolton's book is factually correct (true), at this point in the Senate's "trial" there is no reason to believe that they will make one tiny bit of difference to the Republican Senators.
I suspect that when McConnell declared, "I am not an impartial juror" he spoke for all the members of his caucus.
Not one Republican Senator dared to contradict him saying, "I am an impartial juror."
Five simple words that might have elevated this farce to a level that resembles an actual trial.
Not a word was spoken.
8
Even though Mitch McConnell weakened our democracy by refusing to process and seat a Supreme Court Judge during the Obama Presidency, I still have faith in the Supreme Court.
I hope Chief Justice John Roberts is willing and able to subpoena relevant witnesses and documents if McConnell and the Republicans give our Impeached President a pass on Obstruction of Justice. The Supreme Court has previously ruled in every case, without exceptions, that the POTUS must provide all witnesses and relevant documents -- even including personal diary pages and Oval Office tape recordings in an Impeachment Investigation and Trial.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton wants to testify at the US Senate's Impeachment Trial. If he is not called to testify, the Republican Senators are then guilty of being co-conspirators -- Because we are all aware that President Trump has instructed his administration to ignore all subpoenas to testify and he has provided ZERO relevant documents requested by the US House.
5
Trump lies in plain sight and yet he is still supported by 40 million
Americans. He must be removed from office before he becomes our first American Dictator.
17
The other shoe has just dropped. Senate republicans cannot hold back the tidal wave of truth now. This information was released purposely at this time, just prior to Trump's defense team's hours of denial on the senate floor. Even with the tragic news of Kobe's death, the timing of this release remained the same. Will truth win out Senators?
4
Is there any way for Chief Justice Roberts to declare a mistrial in the Senate and return the Trump case to the House? Perhaps Bolton would be willing to testify there, now?
And what disciplinary measures are available to censure lawyers who knowingly lie in defense of their client?
Perhaps Senators should caucus and decide who gets to go tell Trump that it is time to resign, as Nixon did, when he realized he would be removed?
9
Bolton's testimony is crucial evidence that the president withheld aid from Ukraine to hurt a political opponent.
But the essential problem here is that the GOP does not care about evidence. They say that even if Trump did do this horrible thing, it is not serious enough to warrant impeachment, conviction and removal from office.
Therefore, alas, Boulton is irrelevant to removal from office.
Why does no one ask the GOP: "So from now on you will be OK with Democratic presidents bribing foreign leaders to interfere in our domestic elections to enure their re-election, right?"
6
This information belongs to the American people. It definitely should inform the Senators' decision. If Republicans do not hold the pResident accountable, then they are as corrupt as he is and worse, complicit.
8
When John Bolton is my morning hero? (Iraq anyone?)
we are through the looking class!
11
Please remember that Bolton initially challenged a subpoena but subsequently offered to testify. Now a leak. It would seem his position is “evolving”.
6
Republicans in Congress present a sorry spectacle. On the one hand, you have old-timers looking to protect their positions and paychecks and falling in line Moscow Mitch McConnell's grinning vindictiveness.
On the other you see a younger and fiery resurgence of the Confederacy, senators fed to the gills on Fox fables and shouting Putin-esque fantasies.
A number of them know they're ridiculous in speech and deed. How else to explain such loyalty – or raging fervor – in support of idiocy, ineptness and criminality? Yet on they go, banking no doubt on their numbers and the soothing effects of American amnesia.
Will elections on the horizon come too soon for them? Will further disclosures of Boss Trump's misdeeds catch them out? Will Bolton's book shame them into doing the right thing?
It's entirely conceivable that these Republicans are beyond shame, and that they will end their careers as some of the sorriest politicians to occupy a seat in Congress.
25
"The sorriest seats in Congress". Yes...held by every Democrat.
1
@DB
"I know you are but what am I" was funny 40 years ago when Pee Wee Herman said it. He was satirizing adults who resort to schoolyard retorts as a self-defense mechanism. Coming from Congressional Republicans, Trump and Trump supporters, it sounds petulant, childish and lacking in originality, which of course was Pee Wee Herman's point.
1
If this isn't a fly in the Senate's ointment.....
I think we all should get some popcorn and watch DJT become completely unhinged.
10
Republican Senators: Put Bolton on the stand. Don't make us wait to hear what he has to say after the trial when his book is published. I may dislike his policies, but Bolton does not seem to lie.
9
The NY Times opinion article in today's paper by Neil Katyal & co makes a firm legal argument that chief justice John Roberts has the authority to declare that witnesses shall be called. Where is this man's conscience? Schumer and the rest of the Democrats should be making this their primary talking point every remaining minute of this week.
12
No, Chief Justice Roberts does not have that power. But, hey, what does that matter? The Dems want the Constitution to work only for them so, lets change it because we don't like who is in the White House.
Leftist delusion, indeed.
2
The Repubs are insisting Trump did not do anything wrong because Zelensky did not know there was a hold on the money. Zelensky did know something more damaging to Trump - Ukraine wasn’t given the money appropriated by Congress.
2
None of this matters simply because the Republicans and Trump’s supporters don’t care.
7
Not a truer statment could be said. Yes, you are correct. The Republicans refuse to care about the Left's delusion and their motivation to remove our President fueled by their hatred.
4
@DB ...delusion? Since when have evidence and facts become delusion?
1
Trump and his "legal" team that they are lying but it is up to the senate to stand up to Trump and his enablers, sigh!
Feels like another Merrick Garland scheme. They've had the transcript since December and have continued to march on. Were the so called key Senators informed of the transcript? Or did Moscow Mitch keep it out of the discussion about the trial framework with the GOP? Prepare for phony outrage about this revelation from a "concerned" Collins from Maine, and maybe a critical tweet from a "disgusted" Mitt. In the end, they'll all get in line. Look for the "get over it" t-shirts. Or maybe there motto should be "too bad, so sad". They cheat, lie an do whatever they want.
4
With DJT denying Bolton book account in a tweet, it is imperative for Senate to settle this “he said, he said” case by calling witnesses - DJT and Bolton to start, along with Pompeo, Mulvaney and others.
10
Americans, and most notably Republicans, seem to be blind to the precedent being set. If a president can be allowed to wield the apparatus of the U.S. government to his (or her) own personal ends with impunity, unconstrained by law or sanction, then the prospect of an American dictatorship in form if not in name, will be established. Re-elect this man, and you ensure it.
11
I’m tired of all the tv pundits talking nonstop about the politics and how Rs won’t do anything. If they did detailed analysis of the case in a simple diagram, they’d help the public see that the house managers have proven the case, and where there’s any potential for another explanation the White House is withholding information, so unlikely to be exculpatory. The only logical conclusion is, he’s guilty. Please tv legal analysts, do your job for the sake of the country
12
So 51 Senators are required to allow witnesses to testify at the president's impeachment trial. It's highly unlikely this will happen. Republican Senators are so worried about a Trump backlash that instead of doing the right thing (trials afterall imply the calling of witnesses) they remain silent and cower in corners. Whatever happened to courage in public service? The Senators should be more worried about the ideals of constitutional processes than getting re-elected. It's a sad time for our country.
7
"The White House did not provide responses to questions about Mr. Bolton's assertions, and representatives for Mr. Johnson, Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Mulvaney did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment on Sunday afternoon."
Republican transparency in action. Also known as "damage control".
6
Bolton spoke up against Giuliani; probably part of what cost him his job.. However, now it seems he's playing this to make money on his book. It is not right for some one to profit from Trump's bribery. I will certainly NOT buy Bolton's book.
A lot of things don't make sense. The officers of the government are bound by the Constitution and we are headed into a trial on articles of impeachment concerning Donald John Trump. In this trial, the jurors are the members of the U. S. Senate. They can not arrive at a conclusion as to innocence or guilt until ALL the evidence is included especially new documents and witnesses. Then there will time for further questioning and due diligence by all the Senators on this most weighty issue of whether the president remains commander in chief. This will require the votes of all the Senators after they consider all the evidence before the court. But one senator Mitch McConnell has said publically that he will follow the wishes and desires of president. So, one voter has, in effect told the world he intends to support the president staying in power. At the least, this is collusion and why can't he be arrested immediately upon voting since he is already on record what his vote is BEFORE he hears and considers all the evidence (some undoubtedly new) presented to his colleagues
At the least, this makes a mockery of our Constitution and our form of democracy. Journalists would do well to parse each and every word he has put forth on this critical issue. by-election day.
7
When Congress fell under Trump’s spell, I worried but wasn’t desperate — after all, the courts seemed to still be largely upholding the Constitution, albeit on a very slow timetable. But if Roberts does not intervene and rule that our country will hear from witnesses, I think we’re finished.
10
Imagine having firsthand knowledge that the President committed a high crime. Now imagine that instead of reporting it, you kept that info as secret as possible so you could maximize your profits in a big book reveal. John Bolton is the perfect encapsulation of what it means to be a Republican.
39
Surely you aren’t suggesting becoming a multimillionaire for self, friends and family from ‘public service’ is a purely partisan pursuit...?
1
These publicists don’t miss a trick.
8
Bolton can go public today. A first hand account witness.
Mr. Bolton, do your duty.
30
Especially if asked, Chief Justice Roberts can compel the witness testimony and supporting documents in the interests of a fair and effective trial for the sake of preserving our democracy, surely? Would that not represent a convincing demonstration of the impartiality and constitutionally compelled functionality of our Supreme Court?
16
@Lilly
No GOP partisan like Roberts is needed.
1
Does this matter? Does the fact that Trump is being shown to be a liar and unpatriotic and a danger matter? Not to Republicans it doesn't. They won't let him testify because they are afraid of what he has to say. They won't let him testify because they do not care what he has to say. And every American should now realize that Trump won't be found non guilty of something. He will get away with something. And his supporters flat out do not care what he did. All Democrats can do is let more and more of the story trickle out. Show more and more of the contradictory statements by Republicans. And, as Schiff and others have noted, this is not the end of this behavior. It's only the beginning. For Republicans it used to be that the people around Trump could keep him in check. Now they join in the behavior. Case in point: Pompeo. Apparently he is a bitter, angry, vindictive man who behaves exactly like Trump does. You all thought Trump was an outlier. Nope. He is the leader of the pack. So when you are thinking there is nothing to vote for and you'll sit this one out because your favorite is no longer in the race....Remember this time there is a very good reason to swallow your pride and vote your conscience.
37
There is no force or law on this earth that would have kept information damaging to the President out of our media.
First because it will support this popular action of removing the President, and because the publisher and Bolton will sell a million more copies if a few passages are released now.
I did not vote for Trump in 2016, will not in 2020, but this blatant personal fury about the President is an attack on my country. Gee, wonder why the House did not want to wait 10 months for an election? CLEAN HOUSE in 2020!
10
@Tom Mariner remember watergate! It was the courage of reporters that revealed the presidents cover ups. Sometimes it takes investigative journalism to do its due diligence and give the public the truth.
Thank you NYT for making this happen.
Our house is clean Tom, what about your?
9
And what he’s doing is not an attack on your own country. How the blind want to remain so.
6
@Tom Mariner I have to disagree. The “president” has attacked Americans every day (just follow those pathetic winy tweets). Both he and the Republicans are attacking our Constitution every day. Never thought I’d see an entire complicit party betray their oaths. Agreed that the unbridled capitalism is gross and also destroying this country.
7
Did Bolton disagree with linking aid to an investigation of corruption?
Is it illegal to withhold aid in order to have an investigation of corruption?
Should a presidential candidate and his family be immune from investigation of corruption?
Did Trump actually withhold aid?
This article does not address these and is not ready for prime time - despite the apparent desire to rush to judgment.
5
What would be perfect is if someone released Individual #1's tax returns...surely that is possible given what has been hacked in the last 10 years.
17
I want to know what else is on that secret server. I bet the Ukraine quid pro quo is just the tip of the corruption iceberg.
38
I also want to know why Chief Justice Roberts hasn’t yet called for the witnesses and documents integral to a fair trial. I thought he was (even remotely) concerned with portraying the impartiality of the Supreme Court?
5
So, Executive Privilege doesn't extend to profiting from a tell-all book? Bolton is eager to make things public if royalties are provided, not for lame reasons like law, order, duty and patriotism.
14
Here's a great headline: Senate declares "You're fired."
22
Thank you for injecting a bit of levity to our shared and persistent nightmare.
3
Trump always asks himself before deciding anything, “What would Herod do?”
This explains everything: his taste in interior decorating, his creepy comments about his daughter and his head-on-a-platter leadership style.
Trump also thinks the golden rule is a personal monetary policy: do unto others as will allow you to take the most gold from them.
If I believed in reincarnation, I’d say he was Herod.
13
How many more witnesses saying the same thing-- that trump attempted to extort Ukraine for his personal gain-- does it take to put this president and his mob underlings where Paul Manafort is? Moscow Mitch and the rest of trumpolini's sycophants are all guilty of obstruction and subversion of the will of US citizens, and apparently, that's the way they want it.
23
A Neocon like John Bolton kills Trump's presidency? A president who actually attacked Iran? Is Bolton's ire so great that he would trigger the implosion of his last great hope to invade Iran? Other Neocons are calling for "censure" so I expect as much from Bolton.
2
"Mr. Mulvaney has told associates he would always step away when the president spoke with his lawyer to protect their attorney-client privilege."
This reads like an excerpt from a satirical comedy.
13
How many Republican Senate Seats are up for election or re-election in 2020 and 2022?
Clean them out and Save our Republic. Wake up sleepy people.
39
There has never been any question about John Bolton's bad character; he's only 'looked good' in comparison to Donald Trump. But now Bolton's proven himself worthy of Trump's administration by windfall profiteering on his government office at the expense of national security; for this alone he should be subpoenaed and possibly indicted. There oughta be a law.
The whistleblower's complaint was corroborated by the House inquiry. The Articles of Impeachment provided sufficient evidence to impeach. The House Manager' cogent arguments and restrained rhetoric let the facts speak and connected the dots. New evidence is daily filling in the blanks. By honorable witnesses. And by far from honorable witnesses - with Bolton at the bottom of that heap.
But 53 GOP senators demand more proof of Donald Trump's high crimes, while defending to the death (of good government) Donald Trump's ability to withhold the evidence. Heck, there aren't even 14 or even 4 of these brave 'patriots' willing to answer the call - to take a tweet storm for their country.
Their heads on a pike? Maybe, knowing the corrupt and violent forces they've incited, legitimized, and set loose on the nation, perhaps these cowards are afraid of more than rhetorical assaults.
16
And that’s why he now doesn’t have a problem testifying. He stands to make a lot of money now.
5
Another GOP government official monetizing his office instead of testifying before the House.
Republicans only want government when they can make money off of it. No patriotrism or duty or honor is involved.
17
@June
Howdy, Gordon Gecko here. Remember me? Greed is good, greedier is gooder and greediest is goodest.
3
If the GOP cared about the facts they'd demand Bolton's appearance tomorrow. History will be unsparing in its judgment on a Senate that blithely disregards persuasive evidence of a rogue President. Trump and Barr believe that if you're President, you can do anything. That's a view not supported by the Constitution or any court. They are out of control and the Senate is complicit as they poise to acquit.
20
Bolton's intensional release of the manuscript through third parties is not enough as it will embolden trump and his followers to discredit it. Bolton needs to testify, whether to the Senate or House in the next day, or an interview with a news organization live on camera (e.g. Fox News). The silence and ignorance of the GOP in this is a discredit to our Constitution. These are actions and behaviors that no one would accept if it was a Democrat. It shouldn't for a so called Republican.
9
@Foodie Bolton carries the baggage of the Iraq war. He was complicit in furthering the wrongful cause of Iraq war. Perhaps he learned his lesson and developed a conscience? he will speak up against trump after all. Let us hope...make sure Cheney is nowhere in sight...who knows what skeletons crawl out of the W Bush closet..
1
It's playing out in public, so the voters can hear about all the dirty, backroom, secret schemes and machinations. This is why we have newspapers. The Constitutional right to a free press has never been more obvious and needed.
And it's all ready for use in the campaign to November 3, 2020. It's the stuff of dreams for Democrats; let's hope they use it effectively. It's certain that Bloomberg will use it effectively, if no one else does. Anyone but Trump. Vote November 3, 2020.
13
Please, Democrats, don't put your faith in one more false Republican savior who might suddenly grow a conscience and come clean about what s/he has witnessed in this Administration. If John Bolton were worried about the country, he would have raised his concerns publicly as soon as the whistleblower suit was made publicly. Instead, he has demurred when offered the opportunity to testify publicly, hinted at insider knowledge, and generally done all he can to have it both ways -- all in service of selling books while maintaining his credibility as a Republican player. Bolton isn't going to come clean and risk his future on Fox news, any more than Mattis, Tillerson, Kelly, or for that matter, Romney, Flake, Rubio, or any other Republican who have called out Trump when it was convenient and backed off when it wasn't.
20
Why do Republican Senators not realize that their legacies will be of liars, selfish and insecure people who cared more about themselves than their country? We must never let them off easy unless they apologize....History textbooks 20 yrs from now must call these current GOP politicians out an their children and grandchildren must know the truth about their deceitful, selfish grandparents!
23
When the Senate finally arrives at its “not guilty” verdict, which is almost certain, the Republican Senators will be prima facie guilty of high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
44
John Bolton is a guy whose politics I don't admire but I never considered him to be a liar.
Trump on the other hand rarely ever tells the truth.
So whose word is more believable?
That was rhetorical.
30
What a waste of time and money and nothing compared to the incompetence and violence we exhibited in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and against Iran during Saddam's war (gas warfare for one). If we are giving a pass to Bush and Obama who promised to get us out and did little could it be that the unorthodox bad taste of this loudmouth is what the politicians don't like? Could it be the dems are mad because the voters did not like the dog food in 2016 and they are afraid that what they are going to serve in 2020 is going to be equally unappealing? I am not optimistic.
2
Or that subverting to constitute is illegal.
7
Let's keep it simple. Does buying and wearing a 20 dollar red baseball cap made in China for 20 cents make a person a winner by association? No, but it does confirm B.T. Barnum's observation: "There is a sucker born every minute."
What are the odds all Republican members of congress are equally gullible? Seems unlikely; so what could possibly motivate them, one and all, to conduct themselves as such? Only corrupt self-interest. They are far worse than a plague. Let's vote them out!
39
An normal, open-minded, nonpartisan American (voter, Senator, you name it) would have impeached and removed trump from office months, if not years, ago.
Thus, US Republican Senators (and let us not forget GOP US Representatives), including so-called moderates Sens. Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander, await any--absolutely any--slight murmur they can use to give excuse to their eventual support of trump, no matter how ridiculous the excuse. They just need a small, tiny, even fabricated excuse and they feel they will be let off the hook by voters.
Because, no Republican Senator, no once perceived hero office-sitter, will ever dare defy trump; they are scared witless, to a man/woman.
We the people will need to be the heroes of this scenario; GOP is pure rot.
26
Trump Derangement Syndrome is actually Senate Republicans and Trump supporters pretending nothing is wrong with anything dear leader Trump does. The afflicted are totally unteathered to truth and reality as they watch Fox Faux News. Sadly, the end result of their delirium is a collective IQ plunge to the low 40's equal to Trump's eternal job approval percentage.
21
Let the Chief Justice decide all the excuses and the fairytales...and let the party begin...
1
Mr. Bolton’s lawyer blamed the White House for the disclosure of the book’s contents. Who disclosed this?
2
Don’t forget that more than half of Valerie Plane’s book was redacted, to protect Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby.
The Trump Administration will get an injunction against Bolton’s book to “protect national security.” It will be redacted or unpublished.
Remember that I told you so!
4
@David G The problem with blocking any of it is that it is already out. That horse has left the barn.
12
@Katrin The book remains unpublished. Some parts of the pre-released draft have been leaked. So, no, nothing has left the farm yet.
The Administration will block or redact it. And anyway, do you really think the leaked tidbits are going to sway any Republican Senators?
I think this all about Bolton's book and that is all. He wants to get a deal to sell his book. This is good example of an disgruntled exemplopyee who got fired for his not agreeing with president Trump's ideas.
2
No. This is all about Trump being guilty.
28
From my perspective, this is about refusing to submit to further degradation of our democracy.
5
@ John
I‘ll quickly forget your indictment of Bolton’s motives, which I think is just a device for ignoring the significant facts he reveals, but the sound of the typo “exemplopyee” will stay with me. Thanks at least for that!
2
Those of us who prefer to live in a republic need to stop bemoaning "if only Bolton this.., or the GOP Senators that...", and acknowledge the reality of the times:
It CAN happen here, it IS happening here.... NOW!
13
Mr. Bolton certainly has a unique flair for getting information out to the world. Remember when he showed up at a press conference with the words "5,000 troops to Colombia" written on a legal pad?
Our President has a big problem, and the World wants to know:
How is he going to blame Obama for THIS?
22
Is there any chance Bolton WILL be called to testify?
Any realistic chance?
6
What if Bolton went on network&cable TV, and swore an oath on the Bible to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God... And then he testified live to an able reporter, why isn’t that sworn testimony, or close enough? God would be his Judge. What would Trump and GOP hypocrites say then?
8
Q. What did the loyal Republicans say, now that Trump is caught once again?
A. It’s all Schiff’s fault! He frowned!
12
Bolton has already spoken.
Is it his speaking under oath that would be needed?
4
This really threw a monkey wrench in Trump's goal of having his trial over by Superbowl Sunday. If the Senate votes not to hear Bolton it will lose all credibility. Mitch McConnell and Senator Graham must be pulling their hairs out over this one.Trying to defend the indefensible must be driving Trump's lemming crazy.
11
Justice Roberts must order Trump to stop threatening Adam Schiff- or let Judge Judy or Jerry Springer preside
17
Quotes from an unpublished book are not testimony under oath. Bolton must testify.
12
As Trump has a real negative impact on our lives in Europe. I take the time to encourage the New York Times in providing the needed couverage. Even if it sometimes feels futile.
15
@Olivier
Trump is a national embarrassment.
The real America will be back because We the People will remember in November.
5
The first Republican senators who defend Trump tomorrow will be the ones who knew about the manuscript. The lying lawyers for sure knew. More than likely Mitch...you know those “planning” sessions.
8
An innocent person would want testimony to clear their name.
13
For Republican Senators, Justices and voters, Trump is a jolly good fellow, and nobody can deny it.
They know perfectly well that Trump lies, cheats, ruins investors by his repeated bankrupcies, avoids payng taxes, "deals" with foreign governments for his own intersts and to get reelected.
But even if HE does work in mysterious ways, they know, they TRUST that HE kows best and works feverishly through his twits for the good of us, poor souls.
Nobody can deny it...
6
that Nancy Pelosi is a strategic genius. I do not for a minute think there is anything accidental about the timing of the Parnas and bolton revelations...... could be there are some patriots left in this beautiful nation.
18
If Bolton wants me to buy one of his books, he better get himself in-front of the House, the Senate, or call a press-conference. Otherwise, I suggest that my fellow citizens boycott his repugnant attempt to monetize an imminent threat to the foundation of our democracy. Unbelievable!
10
Now the United States Senate Republicans (USSR) are saying that Bloton's comments are nothing new! I remember when the USSR was saying that their were no direct witnesses, when there was no quid-pro-quo, when there was no direct evidence. Now that the USSR has all of those boxes checked, they claim that this was known all along!
12
What a shambles the senate is making of this « trial ». At the very least, the United States will have lost the high ground and will no longer be taken seriously when criticizing the political and/or legal system of other countries. The US is becoming a banana republic - and befitting of it, with a corrupt President.
16
"Mr. Bolton also said that after the president’s July phone call with the president of Ukraine, he raised with Attorney General William P. Barr his concerns about Mr. Giuliani, who was pursuing a shadow Ukraine policy encouraged by the president, and told Mr. Barr that the president had mentioned him on the call."
Barr's earlier claim of learning of "perfect call" in August is "perfect stupidity", if one is to believe Bolton's leaked draft. Chalk up another casualty to the human hand grenade.
"..some White House officials have described Mr. Bolton as a disgruntled former employee.."
Will human hand grenade be next to contribute to WH official's early work on the development of a human nuke?
4
That is "just a book" to sell by Bolton whose carnage based on imperialistic brainwash to expand USA is vastly WAS more harmful than Trump's presidency existence rather than HRC on "auto pilot" to steer USA toward getting nuked by either Chinese or Russians in responses later which is best to thwart for the sake of harm reduction.
1
I wonder if 'Anonymous" had anything to do with this leak.
5
@Greenfield
I had the same thought, wondering if Bolton is Anonymous.
Now we need one of those literary scholars to analyze the text of both books — and tell us whether they both are by the same author.
3
When I want a non partisan opinion, I read the leading newspaper of Switzerland
"The founding fathers thought of treachery and crime when defining impeachment. Then came Bill Clinton - it's been a partisan weapon ever since
NZZ Ronald D. Barley, Washington
01/21/2020
3
Surprise, Surprise!!! And the real intent was Most likely for Ukraine to manufacture a story to satisfy Trump. All along it was Trump supporters doing the corrupting. Would not be surprised if Mnuchin was in on the deal making too. Book deals, making money, corruption, and malfeasance. And Trump destabilizing Ukraine for Russia. What an insidious group.
10
The emperor has no clothes.
10
The picture emerging more and more clearly is of a president who is either paranoid ("They're all out to get me!") or so insecure ("She said bad things about me!") that he will make big decisions based on personal feelings instead of the best information and facts and the best interests of the country. That makes him highly susceptible to manipulation. Clearly, Putin has his psychological profite and is using it to his advantage. How many others are?
13
These leaks are going to be endless - all amount to be a storm in a tea cup.
It's he said, I said etc.
If the House had waited to see if Mr. Bolton could testify - this "revealation" could have been litigated, POTUS lawyers could have challenged etc.
Right now, it's one man's statements where he seems to impeach the whole administration.
Let's remember it's a book - and idea of a book disclosure is to sell them.
And even if POTUS had said that aid is to be held up until Ukraine starts investigation - his call is to the contrary where no aid was mentioned.
And the aid was ultimately released.
This is not the last of what we have heard.
1
So, Bolton's provided a copy of his book to the White House on 12/30/19, meaning all Trump's lawyers who testified at the Impeachment hearings yesterday knew the absolute truth about the quid pro quo, yet they lied through their teeth defending Donald Trump.
What is happening to our country? How far we have fallen since this presidency is astounding. Anyone who will vote for Trump or any Republican who sides with him must be voted out. Our nation cannot stand more of this deceitfulness and this march to fascism.
23
Bolton might not know as much as he’s letting on. Remember, he’s always been enamored with his own beliefs and image. He’s got to keep bluffing to stay relevant.
1
@Helen Wheels then let him and others testify.
4
Today is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz survivors and the loss into eternity of folk who were deemed different and as such dangerous, antisocial and a threat to civil society.
Commonsense is alerted when any individual in power defies lawful subpoenas, privilege above and beyond the law and the elected congress while bathing in the light as chosen by The higher power and asserts his self assessment as a genius.
Marx said:
Who Ya Gonna Believe Me or Your Own Eyes?
Vale Chico Marx, at least Duck Soup was funny.
9
with Trump now saying he never talked with Bolton it is ESSENTIAL that the Senate get Bolton under oath and see who really is telling the truth( I must confess I never trust what Trump says-and think the opposite is likely true).
7
By the time the impeachment proceedings resume today, Trump will have claimed he doesn’t know Biden, but that he is crazy, a member of the deep state, a liar who lies to drive book sales but, again, he doesn’t know him and never met the guy except to pose for a photo.
5
Does does the GOP revere Nixon?
2
Just one more reason that Mitch McConnell does not want witnesses. Of course you have to ask Mitch WHY does he continue to supports Trump?
4
I am a little confused ... not willing to testify during congressional inquiry without court approval so as not to violate executive privilege but willing to write a tell-all novel for public consumption??
8
I was surprised when Trump, against his better instincts, agreed to bring a neo-con warmonger like Bolton in to the administration given Trump's promise to end the establishment GOP's preference for military aggression. From day one, Trump has had to fight off hostile democrats and the establishment GOP that blew trillions on endless wars.
2
If a book is written about this version of 2020's GOP portion of the Senate it could be entitled "Profiles in Cowardice."
15
John Bolton's forthcoming book should be boycotted until he does the right thing and truthfully reveals what he knows of any serious wrong-doing, corruption or otherwise impeachable or criminal behavior on the part of the president or his administration.
These revelations should be presented to whatever authority is left in the nation which hasn't been transmuted into something from out of the 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (read the Republican Senate. Plus add the Attorney General who has already demonstrated a dispassionate capacity to smother truth, the rule of law and our democracy with Robert Mueller's own Boy Scout merit badge sash). It's a matter of shame that the initial chosen forum for such revelations should be price tagged in a book vendor's window- while our bushwhacked democracy is gasping for air and truth. Consider also boycotting the publisher and the book-sellers.
Doesn't the withholding of knowledge of the commission of a crime or wrongdoing constitute being an accessory? Or does this ruling not apply to accomplished smug white men with Ivy League degrees and assertive bushy mustaches? : what passes for 'patriots' these days.
5
Dear Chief Justice Roberts, the leaked draft of Mr Bolton's book should be entered into evidence for the nation and this trial.
10
As President Obama iterated, trump is just the symptom of what ails the gop. He put it mildly, I would compare it to a dreaded s d much like syphilis, which degrades one mental capacities, and causes blindness. That being said, it seems as though, collectively, the gop have lost their minds, and are blind to the corruption, and self serving behavior of trump. They will ensure Bolton doesn't testify.
4
President Trump, desecrator of the American Presidency,
corruptor of democratic principles,
divider of a nation,
destroyer of generalizable facts and truths,
weakener of bipartisan American politics,
perverter of ethical behavior and associated, by
harmful words and deeds with
unnecessary deaths and traumas, and
empowerer of a culture of personally-unaccountable policymaking,
is said to have noted about John Bolton’s documentation that:
“it’s going to make the job very hard”
What was “hard” about not really having worked at being a
President of and for ALL Americans?
What was “hard” about ordering the negligence, caging, and death of innocent children,
whatever their existential-national-status?
What was “hard” about desecrating basic religious beliefs and practices?
What was “hard” about stigmatizing,and marginalizing created, selected, “ the others?”
What was “hard” about silencing elected officials who took an oath to
protect the Constitution, its principles and their implications?
What was “hard” about enabling non-democratic Saudis to starve to death Innocent Yemenite children, and enable the destruction of Yemen’s infrastructures?
What was “hard” about betraying Kurdish allies who gave their lives and
limbs so that American’s did not have to?
What was “hard” about BEing a proud-misogynist?
What was “hard” about demanding personal loyal, in a democracy,
while challenging the loyalties of purple heart-soldiers and others who gave their lives?
15
What a "PERFECT" manuscript for the "PERFECT" (or was it "exquisite"?) July 25th call.
We have a lot to thank John Bolton and "Ambassador" Parnas (since Trump was consulting him how long Ukraine would "last" in a fight with Russia, I assume he must be an Ambassador) for exposing the cover-up.
If Trump read and knew history (since it repeats itself) he would know it's the COVER-UP, maybe even more so then the crime itself.
12
The more I consume of all the corrupt practices exposed daily in the days of tRump, the more baffling it becomes that his enablers not only condone but encourage and build on his egregious behaviour most especially as per the Ukraine imbroglio, Mafia at it's most powerful. I find it most worrisome that his deep seated paranoia (I've known people with the debilitating condition) drives him to making ridiculous statements, make erratic decisions, show hatred, vengeance, enmity etc. to anyone perceived as an enemy and this is the mental condition that drives the man holding the highest position in the world, indeed very worrysome.
9
What is the big deal here? Who is surprised? It seems Bolton’s team leaked it. His “honorable” decision to appear if subpoenaed because he has “a story to tell,” is absurd. He could have with the House; people who worked with him did after being told not to. He’s trying to please both sides and is really getting scared now that his book won’t sell near what they thought it would. Good. He should have put America first; she deserves it. Anyone wanting to read it, go to your public library.
4
There is one very big difference between now and 2016.
In 2016, the media gave Trump about $2 Billion in free exposure, with few discussions including any critical information.
Now, the media cover Trump, but plenty of the coverage is NEGATIVE, including specifically the many lies that the "Dear Leader" utters and tweets.
Gotta wonder how the readers will handle that information.
I suspect it will be far more critically than the coverage in 2016.
4
If John Roberts sits on his hands after this development — and thank you, NYT, for reporting it — I will despair. I have low expectations of Collins, Murkowski, Romney, et al., but I kept up a glimmer of hope for our Chief Justice, who despite the debacle of Citizens United, has seemed to deplore the perception of a partisan SCOTUS. Mitch McConnell has long since sold his soul to an assortment of devil(s), but Roberts has at least given the appearance of trying to uphold the law and preserve the reputation of the Supremes. Surely he does not want to taint his legacy forever by presiding over the exoneration of the vicious thugs in this administration.
(And no wonder Tony Pompeo got his panties in such a twist with the courageous and intelligent Mary Louise Kelly. He knows his presidential bid is shot.)
18
@Neenee I agree. Roberts should remove McConnell and Graham at the very least as they're making a mockery of the judicial system.
2
The entire administration has committed treason — helping our adversary Russia by withholding aid to our ally Ukraine. The alibis as to why — fighting “corruption” — matter less than the intent to help Russia and hurt Ukraine in an armed conflict.
Treason.
And then there is the Cover Up.
And then there is the extortion — threatening Senators if they don’t obey him.
19
Haberman and Schmidt.
How do they do it!
The sources are astounding.
Trump's nightmare.
Just what the Founders wanted from the press.
Thank you.
33
Whistleblowing past the graveyard of evidence.
Pay no attention to the guilty president behind the stonewall curtain. Stare at the sky and ignore the Coronavirus too. Stuff happens. Get over it!
11
What a petty small minded vindictive man is Donald Trump. Come on America, do you want this man go proudly flaunts the American laws, Constitution, and plain decency , to continue.
Remember he is the International face of the United States. If the Republican controlled Senate does not worry about their countries standing an International Standing, do they not have any self respect either?
15
Of course Bolton should be called to testify. In all of American history, the rule of law has been based on evidence-based proceedings - so much so, that even after a jury rendered a verdict, that could be overturned if new evidence came to light, especially if it was found that such evidence had been withheld knowingly.
None of that will matter in this impeachment proceeding. The GOP will do everything it can to prohibit Bolton’s testimony. Further, if they’re unsuccessful and Bolton testifies, even if he shows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that quid-pro-quo happened, and says that this was for Trump’s personal political gain but against the best interests of the United States, even if he had videos and other hard evidence to document this, Republican Senators will not convict.
This impeachment proceeding will mean the end of Constitutional law, the end of the rule of law, in the United States.
10
Americans need Bolton to testify in the Senate trial, if it doesn't happen, the Senate is then more than completely pathetic, corruption and delusion prevails and all dignity and integrity in this country at the highest level of government is lost. America is NOT great.
The word is out. It would be absolutely unjust to not have Bolton testify.
12
Trump's bumbling actions were predicted before the 2016 election. What a mess he's made!
13
Mueller deliberately blew the investigation. Either that, or Mueller is the most ineffectual investigator in US history. These are the only 2 possibilities for Mueller. Why was Mueller so reluctant to testify? And why was he so uncooperative with the House when he finally did show up? Mueller acted like a wimp when the US was facing an angry, vicious predator in the presidency.
Not only is Trump completely corrupt, he's dangerously mentally ill. He's surrounded himself with corrupt administrators who are "yes men" that are willing to lie for him endlessly.
Using threats and fear, Trump has managed to subjugate the entire Republican Party. At this point, R's know that removing Trump from office will implicate many top R's as soldiers in the government-wide massive corruption scheme.
Trump turns everyone around him rotten. Anybody who resists (like James Comey, AG Jeff Sessions, Secretary Rex Tillerson or Gen. Jim Mattis) is gone and fast.
All the good people are being picked off and destroyed one by one and NOBODY in the Republican Party will help to stop it! They created Trump and they're celebrating his viciousness.
Adam Schiff is the hero in all of this. Will it be enough to get Trump removed, or will Trump destroy him and Nancy Pelosi, too?
18
If Bolton were a patriot he would appear in public and tell us what he knows. To be silent is tantamount to a colossal treason. Silence is complicity. Does Bolton want to go down in history as a name uttered in the same breath as Benedict Arnold?
Harper's Weekly published an article in 1861 describing Confederate leaders as "a few men directing this colossal treason, by whose side Benedict Arnold shines white as a saint."
It applies to Trump and his few men directing this colossal treason. Bolton now has an opportunity to distinguish himself from these traitors.
12
Pompeo an Mulvaney are sycophants, Bolton is not and that is why Bolton was so often at odds with Pompeo and Mulvaney, and why Trump is afraid of Bolton's testimony - everywhere you turn the truth is pushing to get out.
14
I’m glad that the book was dictated under oath and has no exaggerations.
2
@William McCain
Yes, we need to have Bolton testify under oath before the Senate.
We also need to have Trump testify under oath so that he can tell his side of the story.
3
Republican Senators: The coverup has been exposed - time to give up the charade. Do you really want to go down with this ship ?
8
Suddenly, the media have transformed Bolton from a joke at the UN into a credible source. I make this observation as one who understands defeating Trump in November is priority nunber one.
4
Well, that ought to finally settle this thing.
1
My Republican father loves to talk about how America is the only country in the world without a corrupt government. In his eyes, we are the great shining beacon of truth and justice. / I’m no hard-core liberal, but the Republican Party is the very definition of corruption, lies, and coverups. They’ve lost me for life.
15
Many are now saying the evidence exists for a Second Impeachment
I agree entirely
15
@Jack how many impeachment’s will it take to remove Trump? The main thing is he should never be allowed to hold a public office, neither any of his children. Republican hero worship will vanish once President is indicted, then trump family will realize these fair weather friends (like silly Lindsay Graham) are just that. When times get rough these friends will disappear. Trump wined and dined the house Republicans and their families the weekend before the house impeachment vote. Is he going to do the same with the senate republicans, wine them dine them show their spouses a good time! That’s bribery for you! Right in the open.
3
Either Bolton is lying, or Barr, Mulvaney, Trump, and Pence are lying.
Interesting times.
The Senate should hear Bolton as a witness, as well as the rest of them.
9
It is amazing what people will do or say to sell a book!
2
(corrected:) I see there are now 1775 comments, I'm hoping to be 1776!
Trump tweeted today: "He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!"
Democrats responded that this was a "threat." I only wish Trump's tweet were that innocent.
We all know full well, as when Trump said to Putin, "If you're listening, and you can hack into the Democrats..." it's a direct, very, very real request in the guise of a mock request.
In this case, Trumps clearly inviting the loonies who are listening to do Trump a "special favor" of imposing Rep. Schiff's "not paid yet price" for "what Schiff has done to the country." Only very barely coded invitation to violence, hinting that such revenge would be patriotic because avenging anti-American behavior. Trump knows exactly how many of his supporters "think" (if their WWF-level mental-physio process, 99% animal instinct, could be called that) works.
Clearly Trump is inciting, through such a message, his supporters to violence. This itself is grounds for impeachment. if any Trump supporters take up the invitation, and violence results, it will be Trump's responsibility, just like the invitation to Putin.
14
If Bolton thinks that this promotes sales for his book, we need to make sure that it doesn't.
He needs to testify.
4
How credible is a witness who would tailor his testimony to promote his book?
@ebmem
100% credible.
He could have provided a compete exoneration of Trump just as easily.
But he told the story the way it happened, and Trump is GUILTY AS CHARGED.
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Well, this, as do so many articles in The New York Times, looks bad. Over and over again, time proves a great deal of this paper's reporting to be incorrect. Remember, you won Pulitzer Prizes for your reporting on Russian collusion with Trump.
The question remains as to where and when the demands for quid pro quo were translated to Ukraine? According to the rebuttal yesterday, the Ukrainians had no idea there were any requirements for investigations attached to the aid. Perhaps Trump talked about these things endlessly with his aides - does it matter if the Ukrainians were never told?
It reminds me of the Mueller charge of obstructing justice because the President told his attorney Don McGahn, to talk to Sessions about removing Mueller from the investigation for conflict of interest. The attorney did not carry out the President's order and told no one. Yet somehow, this amounts to obstruction of justice... What justice was obstructed?
If the Ukrainians didn't know of the President's demands, what has he done wrong? Is it a thought crime? A speech crime? A wish crime?
One other minor detail, the Javelin missiles the aid was to procure, are forbidden to be used at the front. They are only to be used if the Russian backed forces overrun Ukrainian forces and move inland: "Under the conditions of the foreign military sale, the Trump administration stipulates that the Javelins must be stored in western Ukraine—hundreds of miles from the battlefield." - FP Magazine
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@Arthur Taylor Of course the Ukrainians knew. It's not as if they did not have Guilliania, Parnas and Sondiland, and Ambassador Wilson, and and and and and.
That is not really the point. The point is, did Trump try to extort the Ukrainian leader?
Even if he did not succeed, the attempt is wrong.
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