Prince Jared, while holding the dead body of his Piece of the Middle East Deal, said that his Big Daddy-In-Law has been completely exonerated. Yawn.
5
If there are no announcements to subpoena Bolton in the next two days, he should ho,d a press conference.
Meanwhile, do NOT fly Turkish Airlines. Despite all its advertising to gain a better image, boycott the airline of the corrupt nationl
5
The Bolton book is just one of many which will detail the horrors of this administration. It will all come to light and the judgment of history will not only be damning, it will totally repudiate all these clowns and their enablers. If anyone is left to read the history.
7
45* is simply pathological. He can't help but to give away the store (our national treasures of hard earned respect and loyalty around the world) in order to "make deals", "save himself from himself" and fundamentally he has no business making any deals with anyone (he's simply not qualified)!
5
Kelly’s on board with Bolton. The walls are crumbling. Barr is trapped
8
Michael and Maggie as top N.Y. “Times” reporters should clearly understand that:
“You can’t impeach an Emperor, particularly not this first one in American history — Emperor Trump.”
And BTW, there is no evidence sufficient to Impeach Emperor Trump.
Sent from my iPad
2
Well, the part I believe in this article is that William Barr never questioned any of Trump's actions. Barr is Trump's lackey, his shoe-shine boy, his wet nurse. Barr does not believe in the Constitution, he believes in the "Unitary Executive," i.e., an American king.
11
Barr is an extremist Christo fascist rapturist. And a clown.
8
Actually, it is quite dangerous to permit Bolton to testify under oath for the first time in open court. His videotaped deposition should be taken first. Closed to all but two lawyers for each side and one staff member. Only one lawyer for each side can talk other than placing their name in the record. After the deposition each side designates what parts of the “movie” to show in open court. Further either side can compel his live testimony at court. His deposition is then available for all purposes including (ironically) impeachment. Then it gets way interesting.
3
Heaven forbid that our Way of Life depends on Mr. Bolton. He who never saw a war for which he wasn’t willing to risk the lives of other people’s sons and daughters.
4
Time for Bolton to prove he is a real patriot: cross the parties line and testify the truth.
5
Mere removal from office is nowhere near adequate punishment enough for Trump and his damage to our nation. His entire life, reputation and brand must be thoroughly eviscerated.
9
Barr is such a hideous creature, almost comically so, except none of this is funny.
6
Even Trump can't stop the bleeding now. Whether he is removed ffom office or not, the truth will out, and no one can hide from it.
6
Yes but will any of the unholy FACTS matter to his vile supporters?
2
Now Republicans are asking to see the Bolton manuscript before deciding whether to call him as a a witness? Isn’t that like getting the answers before the test?
4
This is par for the coarse. BTW, what happened to nearly universal belief that Rudy Giuliani will be indicted soon? Do you suppose someone stopped it? Just asking...
10
Michael and Maggie as top N.Y. “Times” reporters should clearly understand that:
“You can’t impeach an Emperor, particularly not this first one in American history — Emperor Trump.”
And BTW, there is no evidence sufficient to Impeach Emperor Trump.
4
Trump would love to be our king, and it is frustrating to him that our democratic traditions and the Constitution limit him. If he could, he would be our king.
Never mind that our last king, George III of England, was also a bit loony and also had a violent temper. In a fit of rage against the initial rebel victories at Concord, Lexington and Bunker Hill, he ordered his commanders to put rebel towns to the torch. They did and three towns were burned to the ground.
Sound familiar?
Michael Cohen warned that it will be hard for us to get rid of Trump. He certainly won't be convicted in the Senate. And if he is defeated this fall, he will likely claim election fraud and stonewall a peaceful succession.
We already know what that will look like. What we don't know is how to act when he does. Utter astonishment is not enough.
18
The Republicans claim that the Democrats (as if they were a unified body, which the recent Democratic debates would contradict) had gotten together in a private room and strategized to make up fabricated lies about the President in order to have him removed from office. Could it be possible that millions of concerned Americans have put pressure on their representatives to do something because they are clearly afraid for the existence of our Republic and the Constitution. As many as 51 percent of Americans in a political poll want Trump removed from office, while 69 percent want to hear more witnesses. We have all watched one staff member after another leave or have been fired from his administration. We have witnessed him turn on traditional allies, and left the Kurds to fend for themselves against the Turkish Army after they helped to battle ISIS. He has made threats against Patriotic Americans such as James Comey, Fiona Hill, Marie Yovanovitch, and many others. These issues are only a few of the reasons that many Americans are against Trump. Political party preference has nothing to do with the facts. We the American public deserve to hear as many verifiable facts as possible without the political spin and the gaslighting of "there is no there, there" when there truly is.
17
"Mr. Bolton’s book has already netted significant sales. Shortly after the disclosure of its contents on Sunday night, Amazon listed the book for purchase. By Monday evening, it was No. 17 on Amazon’s best-seller list."
While it is questionable whether Bolton's book will sell more copies that "The Pentagon Papers" and "Deep Throat" and all the other books written about Nixon and Watergate, this book is currently No. 17 on Amazon's best-seller list.
I keep thinking that the people purchasing this book want to know the truth since the Republicans AND Trump have a penchant for deception, denial, and deceit and flatly refuse to acknowledge anything remotely related to facts.
I am hopeful that the information revealed in Bolton's book will be seared in the memories of voters come November 3rd and that not only will Trump be voted out of office, but the Republicans who continue to help and aid his ongoing efforts to parlay his position as president into personal gain and enhancements.
16
@Marge Keller You don't seem to know how it works in the government biz. If Bolton's book is #17 on Amazon's best seller list, that's because of pre-orders. But none of those pre-orderers has a clue what the final book will look like, in large part because Bolton agreed to (and, it appears, did) let the White House vet it before it's final. Maybe he'll publish it the way it is now, and maybe he won't. We're just guessing (and my guess is that he won't).
Perhaps the most consequential part of this report is Attorney General Bill Barr's statement that John Bolton misrepresented and/or misunderstood what Barr told him. That means that it is not just Trump who is claiming that Bolton has misstated what was said in their conversation.
2
@Ian Maitland Are you kidding? Barr has no credibility except among right wing extremists.
11
It seems that part of the Presidents defense team has been earnest in asserting the "no crime" has been committed and that the notion of "high crimes and misdemeanors" is vague.
I have not heard the argument that as the House has the sole powers of impeachment. Therefore, it is up to the House to determine what a "high crime and misdemeanor is". Which they have done, and they have impeached the President. It is now up to the Senate to decide if the President is guilty of the acts for which he was impeached, not to decide if the impeachment had merit or not. Therefore, Dershowitz's argument is null and void.
7
@AS
I was going to disagree with you but, yes, this would be akin to a Rule 12 motion that must be made before trial. Since the impeachment trial has obviously started, an argument that the articles are defective on their face seems like it should have been waived by this point in the proceeding. However, since this is essentially a political trial, perhaps anything goes? We shall certainly see. Even if it isn't timely, Dershowitz made a compelling case for acquittal in my humble opinion.
1
@ Doyg Ballard
Oh please. Many people think Dershowitz is a caricature of a crummy lawyer.
2
We have to thank Trump for allowing those "who want to see" just how corrupt our government has become. It's amazing that although we see malfeasance undisguised and openly practiced by Trump, we are (almost) helpless to stop it. It just continues day after day, week after week, month after month. I'm feeling like a third world citizen who sees their leaders' corruption but is unable to do much about it. Why? ... because corrupt enablers also have power.
Will hearing more of the truth (that we already know) from Bolton have any effect at all?
The system has been corrupted, as have the values of so many. I'm not sure if mankind is doomed to continue its downward spiral, but I do know, in a utopian world, public servants serve the public, not their own self-interests.
I can only hope every senator/congressman who votes (voted) to continue Trump's transparent corruption faces expulsion from their self-serving positions.
10
Don’t you kind of wonder about the personal favours granted to the leader of China, given Mitch McConnell’s (through his wife Elaine Chao) financial connections to China?
Chao’s father owns the "The Foremost Group, (which) has extensive ties to the Chinese state and Chinese elites. The company has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loans from a bank owned by the Chinese state, has substantial interests tied to a major Chinese shipyard funded by the Chinese state, and long-term contracts with a Chinese state-owned steel producer." (From Wikipedia)
ZTE serves as a geopolitical pawn for its government, as stated in the article. So, how does this all play out? We can only speculate of course, but with many connections between ZTE/The Chinese state/the Foremost Group, one might wonder if a bribe, rewarded by lifting of sanctions, might be beneficial to McConnell/Chao/The Foremost Group. Something to ponder.
Kind of makes you wonder why McConnell doesn’t want any witnesses called for the impeachment, and why he wants to have this wrapped up so quickly. McConnell protects Trump’s interests; Trump protects McConnell’s interests?? Again, just speculation, but let's face it; neither of these two does things just for the good of their country.
11
There is a far simpler explanation for Trump's behavior than all these convoluted conspiracy theories.
It is that -- rightly or wrongly -- Trump came into office thinking that he could resolve a lot of the festering foreign policy problems he inherited from Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama by buddying up to foreign autocratic leaders and cutting deals with them. Call it the art of the deal.
Yes, of course, that process was never going to look pretty, just like most of us would prefer not to watch how our sausages are made. Nor does anyone enjoy watching Trump's mating behavior with bros like Putin, Erdogan and Kim.
But it is all in a greater cause. Think of it as Trump's sacrifice for your children. The jury is still out -- but the process can be credited with, for example, getting Kim Jong un to stop launching missiles over Japan and getting China to begin to address our trade complaints. Keep your fingers crossed.
The political risk (for Trump) is that the process can easily be misunderstood, especially by people who are blinded by Trump hatred and too lazy to do their homework. As Barr may or may not have told Bolton, it can create the appearance of undue influence without the SUBSTANCE of undue influence. That is what Bolton didn't get and many others are unable to get.
2
@Ian Maitland
Man, I love your optimism.
You say, Trump reined in Kim Jong Un, for starters.
2nd, Trump came into office with foreign policy plans to fix the previous 31 years by "buddying up to foreign autocratic leaders".
Please allow me to present a side that is more aligned with reality.
Trump never planned on being elected, nor had plans for a presidency should he be elected in a Bizarro world.
And as far as disparaging some of us for not doing our homework, please don't invoke Barr as any kind of sage in matters of ethics or arguments involving substance.
9
@Ian Maitland methinks you live in an alternate reality.
Firstly, Trump has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a toxic narcissist, and as such he is incapable of caring about anyone or anything except himself. Sa far, that analysis stands.
Secondly, the contortions you go through to attempt to justify Trump's action and to blame everyone else because they do not see how great he is, is just nonsense, but it is the kind of strategy a toxic narcissist would employ.
Have you seen a mental health practitioner lately? It seems indicated.
6
@Baruch
QED. I suppose I should thank you for proving me right.
Why bother with evidence and analysis when you can use an epithet? Just what I was referring to when I said some people people are too blinded by Trump hatred and too lazy to do their homework.
1
DT was born with his particular personality, but the social interaction he has with people in inherently based in tribal behavior, and the fact that his family, especially his mother knew how social standings, and charming people went back in the days when he was growing up, influenced him. It is a primitive part of human nature, and most people sadly buy into it, hook, line, and sinker. That is what keeps people from being able to stand up for the truth, and be a straight forward person, day in, and day out. Living in a small town, where most people either work with one another, live in the same neighborhood, are related, or go to the same church, makes it very difficult to be able to stand for anything. I grew up in Montana, where people more easily would express their opinion, even if it was politically correct, or socially unacceptable. That is much better, than Minnesota nice, let me tell you. Our small town, is mostly Lutheran, a lot of Mennonites, and one larger fundamental, Evangelical church, and we haven't been a part of that scene for over 35 years. DT wants to make the strongmen around the world see him as an ally, more than the traditional ally that we have had since World War 2, but those men, when push comes to shove, only want to use him, and they know how gullible, and ignorant he is.
7
If a president cannot be impeached for “abuse of power” than the office becomes that of a dictator.
The Senate is about to decide whether the Revolutionary War fought against the tyranny of a king which founded this country was fought in vain.
God help us all.
8
Readers may want to pay close attention to the one person who, throughout this debacle, has not received the attention he (perhaps) so richly deserves: AG Barr.
Put another way, there's something afoot when someone who has otherwise voluntarily basked in the media limelight (better put: he never shied-away from it), asserting himself as a staunch defender of both DJT and virtually unlimited executive authority, suddenly "goes dark".
Where Barr was earlier more than happy to publicly advocate for (read: offer a strong defense of) the person who appointed him and pontificate on matters outside the direct purview of the DOL, he now appears to not only shy away from media coverage, but refrains from all of the aforementioned public bluster, pronouncements, and bravado.
Translation: of late--and since the impeachment proceedings have risen toward a crescendo--Barr has made a distinct turn away from the public eye. It's apparent to anyone watching that he wants very much to stay off the radar--especially the impeachment radar.
One might ask: why?
I posit that the answer to that question will be revealed in time, just as all other truths will be revealed in time.
1
Interesting that Bolton feels Barr is concerned about DJT's interactions with dictators. If Barr is concerned about any of DJT's behavior, he sure hides it well.
5
Trump supports dictators.
Why did you people elect him?
He is deplorable.
5
Trump & his Republican enablers are CORRUPT.
Trump and his family have amassed over 100 joint real estate ventures in Turkey alone, with Erdogan and his family, other Turkish government authorities and their enablers/surrogates.
Trump has an established history of “corrupt” operations while aligning himself with ONLY corrupt dictators and autocrats scattered throughout the world, and corrupt and mercenary Republicans within the US who are equally complicit in Trump’s treasonous acts.
Trump maliciously violates the norm, bends and breaks the laws for Trump’s corrupt and mercenary advantage, while always “gravely” impacting millions within the United States and throughout the world.
Trump and his surrogates do NOT care.
Nefarious Trump has created a corrupt climate enabled by many greedy and sleazy Republicans who “cheat”, “lie”, “bend”, “ignore”, “break” the “Rules of Law” for monetary advantages for corrupt Trump, Trump’s family, Trump’s mercenary and deplorable friends who enable Trump’s “ atrocities” irregardless of the impact on others, our country, the world.
Reason and intelligence are challenged as we appear to be on the cusp of WWlll. Trump’s EVIL must be destroyed now.
Truth must prevail to expose those who enable his crimes, Trump’s treason, his assault on humanity.
Trump’s nefarious walls are crumbling, and this must be accelerated to save democracy in the US and the world.
1
The fact is that certain Conservatives came to Trump hoping that he offered a malleable opportunity to act upon long held agendas.
The fact that he was a malignantly narcissistic and psychopathic vessel for those agendas, who would act with nihilistically destructive and utterly self-serving consequences for the nation would only become apparent to them later.
4
Barr is obviously lying, as usual. Bolton is telling the truth.
Beyond that fact, however, is the question of Trump's motivations for doing favors for autocrats like Xi and Erdogan. He admires them and is a dictator wanna-be -- that much is certain. It is less certain whether he is receiving financial benefits under the table for these favors.
This administration will never allow an investigation to determine whether Trump is swapping favors for bribes. This will have to wait for the next administration. Barr should understand, however, that someday he will be placed under oath and he will have to tell the truth, on penalty of perjury.
It would be best for him to fess up now, but we know he won't do that. Dishonor and disbarment await. As for Trump, probably something much worse is in store.
3
Bolton concerned Trump did favors ...
And no doubt he got personal favors for himself in return.
So much of Trump's foreign policy appears one sided.
Kim Jong-un - legitimized on the world stage. US nothing.
Turkey - given free reign to attack US allies. US nothing.
Saudi Arabia - given a pass on assassination and dismemberment of Jamal Khasoggi. US nothing.
Israel given the most important leverage available for a two-state solution and peace talks. US nothing
China... and on and on.
What personal favor did Trump get?
It's hard to believe the 'greatest deal-maker in the world' gave it all away for nothing in return.
4
According to an article in Vanity Fair, Trump is seeking a restraining order against Bolton and the release of his book. Terrified much? Exposed much Mr. President Traitor?
How the republicans can keep propping up this monster of corruption and deceit, it can only be to protect themselves from having THEIR corruption and deceit exposed. This is what we have come to. Pathetic. Is there a single republican left who actually has a conscience?
7
Shocking! Shocking! Or, as we call it here on the West coast, Tuesday.
2
It’s like picking the lesser of two evils, Bolton or Barr. What a choice!
2
Once all the insider books are written, once every document and witness is subject to congressional oversight, once the Times and other news outlets run every story to ground, the Trump administration will go down as the most corrupt in American history. Certainly worse than Nixon or Harding.
Who could have predicted a failed businessman who stiffs banks and contractors, a man who credibly assaulted nearly two dozen women, a man who ran with Jeffrey Epstein, a man who ran a fake university, a man whose charitable foundation was a fraud, and a man who cheated our treasury of millions in inheritance taxes would be our most corrupt president?
Basically anyone with a brain and an objective news feed.
9
There is no doubt to me that Trump and his dictator/autocrat buddies around the world have joined into a cartel to rule the world, and eliminate enemies and "inferiors". This is just the start of it, but you can be sure it will bloom fully if Trump loses the 2020 election and refuses to leave the WH, which I fully expect him to do. Watch for it.
1
I get it: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Having watched as Jim Comey was magically transformed from the noirest of betes noires into the goodest of the good guys, I nevertheless thought there were limits.
But are there no limits? Even War-Monger John Bolton can become a good guy? Can even Donald Trump himself be far behind?
Back in Sept. 2009, when Gaddafi was scheduled to speak at the U.N., Trump rented his 113-acre Seven Springs Westchester county estate in the glamorous neighborhood of Bedford to Muammar Gaddafi specifically so that Gaddafi could pitch a large Bedouin tent on the lawn.
That was Trump's idea of a "grass roots" campaign!
4
John Bolton a "good guy?" Have we really stooped this low?
I'd gotten used to the transformation of Jim Comey from bete noire to good guy, but John Bolton? Can even Donald Trump himself be far behind?
1
Anybody involved with Trump get tainted. All the Republicans backing him will also be tainted in years to come. Trump is on a sinking ship and he's got the first lifeboat on which he will only take a rower like Ivanka and Jared Kushner. Everybody else is left to drown.
My guess is that the name Trump will become a verb, like you just got trumped to indicate you were being played for a sucker. Mr. Barr certainly appears to be getting trumped. It will be interesting how Trump turns against him, too.
3
Bolton is no patriot. He’s a neocon chickenhawk now peddling his “patriotism” to the highest bidder. Most members of Trump’s inner circle publish books immediately after their tenure to cash in on their so-called “service”.
The impeachment may fail but such an unethical, corrupt, and criminal enterprise will eventually collapse in upon itself. The only vision they share for the USA is “Where’s Mine”.
Meanwhile, citizens of good will need to persist.
2
Say what you want about John Bolton (or even Hillary Clinton!), but there was NEVER any chance of either of them rolling over and selling the farm to Vladimir Putin, like Donald Trump has done.
4
trump supporters, you are failing your own common sense.
I'd venture to guess that none of this man's supporters would accept his behavior in their 10 year old.
Open defiance of the rules, lies about what the teacher said, accusing the principal of being a traitor, making up names like "Dummy Mommy" and "Sleepy 2Job Daddy" to humiliate authority. When caught lying about his grades, the report card itself, his attendance and his playground shakedowns of littler kids, he shrugs and says 'so what? That's how the world works'.
trump supporters somehow find the ability to 'see his side of it', and shrug along with this lying bully! In fact, they sweep out the school administration to install their little angel as principal of the whole school.
At this point, trumpies are trying to get all of America to believe that all the teachers, old principal an school charter itself was a conspiracy against one kid.
I guess it doesn't hurt that this evil kid promises continued advantage for his family exclusively if they play along. Suddenly, yeah! We never liked that teacher, amirite?
America dies with a cowardly whimper, with only the promise of Russian-style oligarch wealth necessary.
4
Excuse me? Since when John Bolton has become a good guy? A shining beacon of democratic ideal the man is not! Check out his credentials already! He is a completely crazy right-wing crackpot ideologue! And worse, he's smarter than Trump. Guys like Bolton will drag the world down into intervention wars straight out of the cold-war era. You can keep your hero. Not mine. Trump is corrupt to the core, but he is stupid-corrupt. Bolton is an even more dangerous man. Because he is smart-corrupt.
Isn't this a hoot? John Bolton, arch-reactionary and consummate warmonger, as Trump's possible foil.
Everyone knows Trump did a favor for Erdogan by abandoning the Kurds and letting Turkey slaughter our allies.
1
Witness exchange should be 1 Biden for 1 Trump.
Hunter = Ivanka
Joe = Donald.
It seems to me that one of the requirements to keep your job in trump's "inner circle" is to be a Liar.
1
Dear NYT:
This reporting is tremendously irresponsible and underscores the dangers of reporting on a "tell all" account by a national seurity advisor using anonymous, biased, second-hand sources, who provide only vague and biased summaries, rather than verbatim quotes that can be dealt with honestly.
This latest leak, claiming that senior Trump officials expressed "unease" about the president's supposed "embrace of authoritarian leaders,"exemplifies these dangers.
Citing secret internal criticism of foreign leaders, attacking the president's motives, and leaking classified information to sell a book (or a newspaper), all undercut the president's ability to conduct foreign policy.
This is not about foreign policy. It is about damaging Trump, and making him appear venal, vile and dishonest.
These NYT leaks show why executive privilege exists.
These damaging NYT leaks -- vague as they are -- have been denied by the principals.
Repeating them in the supercharged context of a partisan impeachment crisis, without denials t the top of the story, is doubly irresponsible.
1
@ Jorge
Trump is venal, vile and dishonest. We knew this on Day 1 of his campaign.
1
NYT,
Please stop cherry-picking and leaking snippets of the manuscript - I hope the leaks are not coming from the publisher to recoup its $2 million advance - and publish the full manuscript please.
1
Trump has cornered a certain sinister brand notoriety deliberately. With love letters to kim, puppetry with Putin in Helsinki and every manner of rhetorical depravity and action, he has cultivated a historical niche to malevolently long live. His blockbuster badness will be #1 in its market segment for decades. Think of it: The USA now emanates hourly with rolling verbal tsunamis off the decency richter scale.
This historical travesty should be corrected post-haste.
1
Don’t the shocking revelations in Mr. Bolton’s forthcoming book, discussed herein, about the Fake President’s covert “dealmaking” with autocratic foreign leaders to benefit his personal financial interests located in their countries make the supposition that his repeated, disturbing accommodations to Putin were, at the very least, related to his long held desire to build the Trump Organization’s largest project in Moscow? As Speaker Pelosi often declares, “All roads lead to Russia”. Meanwhile, American people still await any satisfactory accounting of communications between Trump and Putin, zealously guarded by the White House to date.
113
It is a sign of how low we have sunk when we rely on the likes of John Bolton and Bill Barr for some semblance of truth. Both of these men have no honor, no integrity, no decency. Bolton is a war monger. He preaches war, he clearly loves war, killing, death. And Barr is a religious extremist, a member of Opus Dei, an extremist faction within the Catholic Church, that still practices mortification of the flesh. Two complete nut jobs, and they hold the power in their hands. We have sunken so low.
13
Trump has been a pawn for the mafia his entire life. Of course he loves Totalitarian leaders, he know his place around them.
7
We learned from the recording made by a Ukrainian businessman that if you give money to Trump, you can have an Ambassador fired. Also present was a Canadian businessman that gave 1,75 million to Trump so that regulations concerning the trucking industry could be changed.
Imagine what a dictator with deep pockets can achieve.
The problem is that a corrupt American president has consequences outside your borders including with very ancient allies.
9
someone should read a history book to see how it all ends when autocrats get the upper hand. It’s not new.
9
51 percent think he should be removed from office, 69 percent to call impeachment witnesses. It’s unbelievable that there’s no protesters in the streets demanding Trumps removal.... Now is the time!
12
@Oystein G
Thatnk so much. Just what we need. More foreign interference in our election process -- from Norway, no less.
1
Having Russian as neighbors I’m very concerned how the US is governed since we are close allies.
4
Republicans have been whining for weeks that the Democrats have not provided any first hand witnesses, eliding the fact that Trump has prevented any from testifying. With Bolton, we have the opportunity to hear from one. The Senate can either cement its role in Trump’s coverup or cement the case against Trump. Either way, Trump loses.
3
This impeachment and trial circus is more of a danger to democracy than Trump.
Immediately after Trump took the oath of office, the Washington Post published a story headlined, “The Campaign to Impeach President Trump Has Begun.”
This impeachment and trial is an attempted coup, and a circus as sleazy as Trump.
Trump's offenses are likely typical in the transactional, grossly corrupt culture of Washington.
Trump was elected after campaigning on a very different foreign policy than that of the Washington Establishment was ever going to allow.
That is the why of impeachment.
It is disgusting to see the Democrats swoon over the warmongering John Bolton whose lies gave the world the horror of the unprovoked war on Iraq based on CIA lies that Bolton repeated loudly.
1
Swoon? Does that translate to demanding he testify under oath? I guess I will have to throw out my old dictionary.
2
Does this really surprise anyone?
This president has shown himself to have zero compassion for those lacking basic human rights, in need, or suffering.
All it took for him to woo the religious right is change his opinion on abortion, and they're in his pocket.
This man exists for himself only. He wants to be what they are.
3
"granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders...."
Can anyone cite any action Trump has ever taken that didn't involve him getting something in return?
It may not be "proof", but if true, granting favors to autocratic leaders smells, to me, suspiciously like there is an emoluments violation attached in such actions.
Who better to assure that your business interests are "favored" in a country than its autocratic leader?
"Dig Forrest, Dig!!!" (Apologies to Eric Roth)
Impeachment 2.0, anyone?
4
I have the feeing that Trump's criminality it Ukraine is just the very tip of the iceberg. He needs to be removed, now. Why can't the Republicans do what's right for our country?
10
@Raydeohed They can, they won't. Big difference. And they won't because their lust for power exceeds any remnants of ethics or dignity they still have.
2
How is it that Barr hasn’t lost his license to practice law? He has made an intentional choice to not fulfill his sworn oath of office uphold the constitution and rule of law, instead choosing to willing particpate and be complicit in the obstruction of justice and numerous crimes of the Trump Crime Family and the minions serving them in the White House and beyond.
9
One of the three people covered on this story is telling the truth. the other two are lying.
Let's see if we can figure this out.
Trump has over 16,000 documented and verified lies to his credit since taking office 3 years ago. He cannot open his mouth without a falsehood spilling out.
Barr falsified (lied about) the outcome of the Mueller Report in his famous 4 page letter stating that there was no collusion or obstruction of justice, counter to what the report actually said. He has either outright lied or stretched the truth on numerous other occasions to defend the president, which by the way, is not part of his job description.
Bolton is a respected and admired (more like an acquired taste) right wing hawk with some pretty drastic ideas on how to keep the United States safe. He has pushed for armed conflicts with Iran and other hostile nations. Yet his honesty and integrity were in conflict with Trump's business plan. One thing is for certain about Bolton, he is an American patriot who does not have to lie to get his point across.
So tell me. Who would you believe?
117
@Larry
"Bolton, he is an American patriot who does not have to lie to get his point across."
Why have Americans forgotten the run up the invasion of Iraq? Bolton was all-in on the WMD lie. That doesn't mean he is lying now, but his actions then should not be forgotten or forgiven.
26
@Larry
Based on this post, not you.
2
@Canadian Roy
I don't know who manufactured the WMD hoax but I'm sure it wasn't Bolton.
5
I believe that Trump did favors to autocratic leaders, because there is plenty of money to make once he is out of office. The advantage in autocratic leadership countries is you need to be a friend of only one person. So, his dealings with Xi, Kim and Erdogan are all in his personal financial interests. His dealings with Ukraine related to his personal gain to get re-elected. Every aspect of President Trump presidency is what is in it for me. The corruption in White House is at all time high and in the senate for aiding and abetting the behavior in White House. A majority of people say that the country is heading in the wrong direction, yet they don’t try to vote to fix it, because they only live in present.
130
As a lifelong Republican, I have this uneasy revelation when I connect the Trump dots that these authoritarian leaders Putin, Erdogan, and others, are paying massive money to Trump and his family for back channel favors. I hope it’s not true, but the evidence is piling up. Remember how Trump tried to pull off the G7 at his Doral to make tens of millions before he got caught?
203
@simon simon
Really? A lifelong Republican who finally sees that the party that embraced Mr. Birtherism, a criminal, is in fact aiding and abetting an international cabal of criminal conspirators?
Someone get Horatio on the line, I got something to add the list of things his philosophy hasn't dreamed of.
22
@simon simon Yes, Simon, we all remember that. But, why are you so late to recognize his criminality? Well, better late than never, I guess.
12
@Albert Ross
Frankly, a lifelong Republican is seeing the light. That enlightenment should be appreciated rather than making snarky snipes.
I'm relieved that simon simon at least began to connect the dots and actually realizes what the Democrats have been so irate about.
My husband is a lifelong Republican and he STILL believes in Trump.
I am hopeful that more and more people across the board see the facts for what they are. A very dangerous individual resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
It's one thing for him to sell his soul to the highest bidder. It's an entirely different ball game when he tries to sell this county to the highest bidder.
23
I hope this changes the dynamics of the GOP's stubbornness and fear. However, if Bolton was the patriot that cared about the Constitution, he would have come clean to the press about his knowledge and thoughts right after leaving his position. At the very least he should have come forth, without subpoena, when the House had their hearings.
13
So we’re hearing about favors for Erdogan and Xi, but what about the conversations with Putin where either no American interpreter was present (let alone a national security adviser!), or the interpreter’s notes were handed over to Trump immediately following the meeting?
So many horrendous things have happened over the past three years that I fear many atrocities are in the process of being forgotten. For example, who talks about the treatment of migrants, especially children, at the border these days?
Pick just about any area of government policy, and chances are - overwhelmingly - that the Trump administration has done just about the worst possible thing imaginable. Sadly, it appears that close to half the country is OK with this.
28
Clearly there are different levels of danger here. There are people like Bolton who want our powerful republic to flex its muscles according to a far right ideology. Then there are those like our sitting president who wants to use every lever of power available to amass more personal power, including dismantling our institutions and republic if necessary. It makes for strange bed fellows but I’m glad to see that at least someone on the far right has the backbone and respect for our system to stand up to our presidents self serving and corrosive behavior.
15
Fascinating to see that Trump tried to influence DOJ investigations in China and Turkey...which mean that there WERE DOJ investigations of companies going on elsewhere in the world. The question I want senators to ask is: if it is customary for the DOJ to investigate foreign companies, why was this "investigation" in Ukraine spearheaded by Trump's personal lawyer? What answer could the defense possibly give that would support a shadow foreign policy led by...Guiliani?
12
It is probably not beyond possibility to surmise that if Trump has in fact done favors for autocrats, that they have done the same for him in return. Perhaps there is some merit in the threat by Trump to "put their heads on a pike" ,( Republican Senators)as reported by CBS.
Most of these autocrats have excellent intelligence agencies. If Russia or others foreign actors are willing to interfere in the U.S. Presidential election, there should be no doubt that they would gather compromising information on any U.S. politican.
13
@Dearson
Nothing else explains Lindsey Graham.
6
The Attorney General has far more to lose than the former national security adviser when it comes to this latest "revelation".
I don't doubt what Bolton said. And perhaps, because of him voicing his concerns to Barr, that was the tipping point as to why Trump wanted him removed as his national security adviser.
The irony of firing a national security adviser because he had concerns about the president doing favors with autocratic leaders which could weaken and/or threaten this country's national security.
16
I wouldn't be surprised if the Trump Inc got special deals when tariffs were lowered or a country excluded.
10
When Mr. Bolton is the good guy, it shows how worrisome the conduct in the White House really is. The preference of autocratic leaders over our real allies has been constant and pervasive, and we are rapidly becoming isolated in a dangerous world.
22
How dare Mr. Bolton put these revelations in a book and not come forward as a witness.
It is unacceptable and unconscionable that he attempt to profit while our country twists in the wind over this impeachment.
I demand Mr. Bolton be called as a witness and that he proffer his invaluable insights and testimony as any concerned citizen should do.
8
I'll never understand how Americans believe we can impose sanctions of foreign businesses that trade with countries we don't like. The sanctions against the Chinese telecommunications firm and Turkish bank are nothing more than American imperialism, at its worst.
2
I don’t agree on how Trump has handled anything but China IS a real threat. Obama agrees.
so finally we're getting some validation of what most people suspected, that trumps' foreign policy agenda was really a trump first agenda. it's starting to look like he may be a bigger threat to national security than anyone realizes.
15
In the age of Trump there’s no such thing as bad news. Even if Bolton testifies, Trump is unlikely to be held accountable by Mitch’s senate majority. But Bolton’s book will sell even better.
And this latest revelation of personally beneficial quid pro quos won’t be used against Trump, at least in any meaningful way. Instead it announces, as if it’s not already widely known, that Trump Inc is open for business with unscrupulous foreign interests.
Trump 2020. MAIGA (Make America’s Integrity Go Away)
8
Bolton is quite the betrayer. He's clearly angry about the termination and we have to remember he doesn't have to "prove" his "opinions". There's only one solution to this type of problem: There has to be a hard rule that Cabinet secretaries and high-level officials in the WH have a 5 year moratorium on appearances in the media and writing books involving their experiences in the job. If the Dems think this is a gift, they need to think again. One day they will be in the WH and they will be at risk.
And where exactly are all the books revealing the improprieties of the Obama White House?
3
If Trump didn’t act like such a lunatic and fire everyone he hires, he would’t have so many disgruntled appointees.
3
@J. G. Smith There has never been a Democratic president who is as corrupt, self serving, and indecent as Trump. The Dems have nothing to worry about.
2
Another "test" for the futile notion that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
We're so lost in this Orwellian nightmare that we're reaching in all directions for solace.
Bolton will almost certainly tell the truth, and Trump, Barr and Pompeo will lie through their teeth. The defense will hiss on, and a corrupted Senate will yawn and shrug.
The turn from this will take more than one election. I hope we have it in us....
11
While applauding the writing talents of the authors of this article, one cannot help but conclude that it is all so byzantine, so beyond the frame of reference of the average American, who neither has the time nor the interest to follow the unfolding of events regarding the Senate trial. Voting for a candidate is partly emotional, partly cerebral, and most Americans would agree with the peace and prosperity that have characterized the last 3 years, with defending the US from illegal immigration, rewriting NAFTA,supporting the Second Amendment, and encouraging, forcing NATO allies to pay their fair share.They would also agree that while socialism is great in theory,in practice it has inevitably degenerated into dictatorship. Historian Wisdom wrote that Soviet style communism never would have lasted as long as it did without Laverenti Beria's secret police, NKVD.
Sorry to hear the Attorney General had some qualms over Trump's alliance with dictators. But not to worry, the AG has long gotten over this little problem.
8
Trump treats the US as if it were one of his holdings to do with as he chooses.
18
John Bolton, for those who have followed his career for decades, has always been a right wing ideologue and bully, professionally and personally - look at how Pres. Bush was forced to go around the Senate and get him his UN Ambassador appointment through a recess appointment in 2005.
We suppose when unseating one bully from his pulpit we'll rely on another bully. Any port in a storm is a sad state of affairs.
3
I wonder who "Anonymous" is. Doesn't it make sense that he/she is the source of the leak?
6
@btcpdx I wondered why anonymous disappeared from the media when the book came out after all the hype. I do remember there was talk of more to come that was even more damning.
I think Pence is Anonymous
@btcpdx I wonder what trump has to trade away to get bourdaine and epstein snuffed out
"Mr. Bolton’s account underscores the fact that the unease about Mr. Trump’s seeming embrace of authoritarian leaders, long expressed by experts and his opponents, also existed among some of the senior cabinet officers entrusted by the president to carry out his foreign policy and national security agendas."
What a very scary statement. Under Trump's "tutelage", the U.S. foreign policy and national security agendas involved the "embrace of authoritarian leaders". And to what end?
In the meantime, Trump has burned more bridges with our Allies since being elected president, a person could probably count on one hand who still stands with the US.
76
"Mr. Trump’s soft spot for authoritarians dates at least to his presidential campaign, when he praised Saddam Hussein for being “good” at killing terrorists and suggested that the world would be better off were Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the deposed Libyan dictator who was killed in a violent uprising in 2011, “in charge right now.” Mr. Trump then suggested the ouster of both men was ultimately worse for the Middle East because the Islamic State had filled the void."
In other words, when you are as committed to taking out ISIS, as Trump has been, you recognize that the Qadaffi and Hussein were good at keeping ISIS at bay, and taking out Qadaffi and Hussein now means the US has to do, from a distance, what these dictators did on our behalf. This was widely reported by the George Bush-hating media when we invaded Iraq that taking out Saddam would remove a powerful anti-extremist and inti-Iran force from the region. Now you, and the times wants to take the opposite position. So dishonest.
@Marge Keller Trump's "foreign policy agenda"is entirely personal his goals are simple to make more money or get more power for himself as an individual. He also seems to get pleasure from being in the presence of men who command armies.
1
America First? I don't think so. Would you call foreign policy decisions based on personal interests impeachable? And here we are, just for that reason. For anyone who has been paying attention, it has always been "Trump First".
78
@Steve
Trump First. Yes, of course. How can ANY thinking adult take this guy at his word??? (Mexico is going to pay for the wall, believe me!)
He was elected to "serve" in the highest public office in this land. And yet I have never seen even so much of a shred of evidence that he has ever "served" anyone (other than himself) at any time in his entire life.
One need only look at the history of the Trump "charity" to understand what this fraudster is all about.
What a shameful time for this country.
3
Of course, this is merely speculation, but I won't be the least bit surprised if someday we discover that the reason people like Bill Barr and Lindsey Graham are so slavishly supportive of Trump is because they are his unwitting enablers. They went all in for Trump too early and later discovered how compromised he is. Now they have no choice but to cover for him, lest they be implicated in all his crimes. Time will likely show that their decision to stand behind Trump was the worst political decision in our history.
25
@g. harlan
Counterargument: Lindsey's late best friend John was a man of honor and discretion; his new best friend deals in secret files and conspiracies and threats of exposure.
With any luck we will find out which enablers are unwitting and which are being coerced.
5
@g. harlan
More common sense coming out of the Midwest. Thank you.
2
@g. harlan
I think Lindsey Graham is simply a craven politician like most He’s just more blatantly hypocrical.
William Barr is a religious extremist and those views govern his actions, not the law.
2
Play it out. Let’s just say that Romney, Alexander, Collins, and Murkowski support a vote on calling Bolton as a witness, and Bolton actually takes the stand. How can anyone believe that hearing him say what everyone already knows will have any impact? If anything, it will be anticlimactic. It’d be as meaningless as the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, with Trump plainly admitting he grabbed women’s whatevers. No act is below Trump, and, in the unspoken backroom rallying cry that’s understood by all 53 Republican senators, “For the sake of our Twit, we must acquit!” Testimony from Bolton won’t change a thing.
22
@TM I understand your cynicism, because I have similar fears, but I hope you are wrong. If Bolton's testifies offering and confirming the written words in his book and the Senate still acquits I will fully lose my faith in our democracy and any trust left in our members of congress.
1
He had concerns? I did not know Americans were into understatement. I always imagined that as a trait copyrighted by the English.
17
Should I believe the warmonger or the legal system destroyer? I will not hold my breath. Watching Bolton over the years has not given me any reason to believe he is anything more then a political hack, Democrats beware. Trump should come to the Senate and defend himself like any strong leader would, looks like he's hiding to me.
11
Naturally both toadies did nothing (except squirrel this away for future book deals).
18
Interesting when Obama promised to do a favor for Vladimir no one seemed to get upset. Sometimes you have to deal with the unsavory to advance your goals.
1
@clarity007 Thanks for the moral relativism. I remember when republicans were against such things.
1
That’s because he didn’t. Stop watching Fox News.
3
@clarity007
When did Obama promise to do a favor for Putin?
2
So Trump has done favors for autocratic leaders, he's just trying to make friends with them because he envisions himself becoming one.
Nov. 3, 2020.
28
Trump probably sees a kindred spirit in Erdogan of Turkey, who nearly went through an impeachment of sorts himself in December of 2013.
Erdgoan and some of his ministers were caught in a giant corruption scandal that rocked the foundations of what was to become a lucrative corruption empire. Like Bolton's book, there were highly revealing and incriminatory audio recordings of conversations among the culprits and their associates that would have brought down any government. But Erdogan and the media he controlled deftly argued the recordings were fake, banned access to YouTube and other outlets, fired the investigators and prosecutors involved in the investigation and eventually claimed to have stopped a "judicial coup d'etat."
The judiciary and other branches of government in the US have not decayed quite to the same point, but we appear to be on our way, unless we can stop these Erdogan and Putin emulators in November.
27
@JB I think Trump sees Erdogan as an investment for future favors. In kindred spirits, my guess is he would identify more with Epstein as he seems politically ignorant on virtually all counts. What do you think?
Defense team: "What if we get the prosecution to demand a witness? We can make them concede a quick vote when he testifies, and no censure if they want him badly enough... He's must be, or at least have a reputation as, sufficiently 'rock ribbed' that he could have some a spine too - but not really. Maybe he always wanted to join the service, but was put off by changing clothes in front of other sailors, or afraid to shave his lip. When the time comes he will take one for the team... But who???"
Even if not removed from office, how is it even legal that an impeached first-term President remains qualified to run for a second term. The bizarreness is stunning.
27
Thank goodness for people like Bolton who are willing to come out publicly with their concerns about Trump. Others in and out of his administration keep their heads down and stay silent, or anonymous, which keeps the public in the dark about the truth of Trump. Even when their opinions go public, like Rex Tillerson who called Trump “dumb as a rock”, they deny it.
It is not at all surprising that Trump kowtows to dictators and the like. He’s got his eyes on future business deals in their countries. He’s just paving the way with favors, which he has the power to grant as President, for his own future business interest. He has no instinct fir what it means to be the leader of a country that prides itself on being fair, Democratic, and law-abiding.
13
Was Bolton right when he claimed in our mainstream media outlets that the Iraq War would make us safer?
Those believing such a lunatic should immediately quit the Congress and their journalistic and editorial jobs...
2
@Kenan Porobic Shooting the messenger? I remember when republicans were against such things.
The only person Barr listens to is Donald Trump.
18
The only thing standing between trump, along with those closest to him, and massive investigations into his business and political crimes is his reelection. There is nothing he won't do to forestall the feds from getting their hands on his records, including his taxes. Nothing. Buckle up, ya'll.
34
Let there be witnesses.
30
To be more specific, what else is on that secret hard drive in the White House?
34
The basic problem with the House impeachment case is that the Democrats have for years portrayed Trump as an incompetent person to serve as the President but are charging him with fine, intricate and brilliant scheme to win the next elections.
@Kenan Porobic Not really much of a brilliant scheme...rather a heavy-handed mobster-style quid pro quo, that was obvious to many.
27
@Kenan Porobic
It's true, someone competent enough to have $25 million dollars on hand to settle a fraud case couldn't possibly be unfit to serve as president.
3
@Kenan Porobic Yeah, I don't recall anyone saying "fine, intricate and brilliant" this is the first time I've heard those words associated with Trump or any of his schemes.
How is it even possible that the RNC wants to have an impeached President run on their ticket. This seems to be part of a bigger issue.
40
I wonder when during his almost 18 months of endurance as Trump’s national security advisor, that Bolton finally reached his tipping point with Trump.
12
With each passing day, the impeachment and removal of Donald J. Trump becomes more and more necessary, obvious and urgent. He is our own nation's, "crown virus."
44
I suspect that Ivanka is the source of the trump leaks.
2
Bolton is a hard-right ideologue who has been consistently wrong in the Middle East and consistently right on Russia and North Korea. But he was never a liar. Barr, on the other hand, has shown himself to be as much of a stranger to truth as his boss. I believe Bolton's account of the Ukraine scandal, just as I believe his description of Trump's servility to dictators since that has been on public display on more than one occasion.
38
Who could have known that the fellow who told the story of the woman who embraced a snake and deserved to get snakebit for embracing what was clearly a snake (one may presume the woman in this tale was also dressed provocatively so she totally deserved what happened to her), who would ever suspect that this fellow was a snake himself?
Most of the electorate, that's who.
4
@Albert Ross Actually, Hillary won the majority of the electorate, but not of the electoral college. We need to redesign the electoral college so that doesn't happen again.
Why does the House Intelligence Committee not immediately reconvene and subpoena Bolton for testimony, regardless of what transpires in the mock Senate trial?
17
The American people know that the GOP defense of Donald J.Trump is now officially: "So what." And that Barr is smothering any Justice Dept investigation.
So What if the evidence presented demands witnesses, investigation and records.
So what if Trump asked foreign nations to interfere in American elections;
So what if he did not faithfully execute the law passed by congress to supply Ukraine with military aid and so diminished America's security;
So what if he lied and abused his power by obstructing the evidence of his plot and actions to subvert the next election.
His Republican defenders now claim that the nation's Founders would not have judged these acts to be impeachable. They are wrong.
The Framers expressly prohibited receipt of aid from foreigners in elections, and especially so in the case of the president. They knew the danger that a president might become a dictator with the corrupting support of foreign dictators and kings. They may not have foreseen the complicity of the current GOP Senate majority, nor the rise of powerful propaganda media in service to one man, but their intent was plainly that Americans elect their government without foreign meddling.
Trump was recorded ordering the "take out" of Ambassador Yovanovitch after receiving advice from Lev Parnas, associate of the indicted Russian Dimitro Firtash.
If the GOP Senators do not investigate this, they are both incompetent and traitorous.
27
You forgot to mention the autocratic leader that our President favors the most - Donald Trump.
23
Bolton is far from being a hero in my book. But I have to say if anything he seems proverbially honest to a fault. We may not always like what we see. However, what we see is indeed what we get. I suppose the same can be said about Barr and even Pompeo. Their bombast and blatant lies are as transparent as their boss’s are. Yet, too many Americans can not see into and through them. I am once again amazed at how our political paradigm is an experience of life following art, albeit grotesque art. And who could ever have predicted that Bolton would be on the right side of justice?
13
Bolton disagrees with Trump's style of dealing with foreign adversaries, the carrot and the stick is not Johns doctrine. Ok we get it, but he forgets his place, he does not make policy, he was not elected, he gets an INVITE only to the table. His advise in not a directive. When are these goverment employees goint to realize they do not get to make decisions. I guess other than to cash in "tell all books" of "first account" its their only way to feel relevant. I have the feeling once those books continue to flop they will make a move for TV shows.... anyone remember "fire and fury"..?...
1
Dealing with foreign dictators is complicated , sometimes distasteful , but often necessary . Trump got it right and the left doesn’t get it or just turning the blind eye to this reality . Remember Obamas Arab Spring ??
1
Yes, I do remember both Bush's and Obama's silly gushing over the possibility of democracy in the Muslim world, and I remember Bush's "shock and awe."
Also, more recently, I remember that Putin, Erdogan, and the other dictators Trump so admires have walked all over him and gotten whatever they want from him.
Some big deal maker we've got.
16
This revelation sure does cast a new light on Trump's abandonment of the Kurds to the Turkish onslaught.
20
They do it all the time, mulvaney said.
17
No one has questioned the accuracy of this reporting? Marsha Blackburn did last night on NewsHour. Maybe no one with any credibility has questioned the accuracy of this reporting.
3
@Nathan You can't question the accuracy of the reporting and then refuse to let the witness speak.
1
Will Bolton ever be invited to appear on Fox "News" again? Ever? I'm betting no.
7
When Fox finally turns on Trump, Bolton will be their star.
1
I still wonder if the administration also gathered data on the GOP players. It never hurts to have an assurance, or guarantee, of continued loyalty. Were something along that line to come out, it could change a lot of attitudes in the Senate.
7
These are good concerns about Trump. But when a Democrat takes over from Trump next year, they will be very constrained on what favoritisms and back channel deals they can do to accommodate foreign powers and accomplish the goals of the US. There certainly can’t be any withholding of aid because a country has a poor record about women’s rights and health. There can’t be any requirements that a country enforce tougher laws on pollution and on workers’ rights. Nothing secret will be allowed.
@William McCain the next President will not be allowed to engage in treasonous activities, same as Trump. If President Biden or whomever solicits assistance from enemies of America to undermine U.S. democracy, as Trump did, then yes, they will be held accountable.
5
@William McCain Trump's actions re: Ukraine had nothing to do with US policy but rather with leveraging personal political advantage. There is a world of difference.
7
@William McCain
Are we to sincerely believe that Trump apologists honestly do not understand the difference between using the power of government for one’s own domestic political advantage, and using the power of government for the strategic benefit of the United States?
I guess so. Trump’s impeachment defense hangs on that fact, doesn’t it?
7
One thing Bolton's coming book shows - invest now in Publishing Companies. I would imagine every person with close ties to Trump is keeping detailed notes, hoping to cash in on their perspective on the White House zoo. Once Trump is defeated in November, the literary floodgates will open.
19
Why is it that Trump and other Republicans were incensed and went on a tirade with Hillary Clinton and her emails when she was Secretary of State, but it's perfectly acceptable for Trump to do "favors for autocratic" foreign leaders?
64
@Marge Keller
Because she was a strong, informed woman. Nothing scarier for a male, especially an aging white male.
28
@Linda Conn
Excellent answer and explanation.
9
Republicans were all up in arms when there was evidence that Hillary’s aids considered big donors requests to sit with her at her table during fundraisers.
Mr. Bolton furnished one copy of his book's draft. Copies were made and circulated within the administration. Did Senator Mitch Mc Connell have prior notice of the contents of Mr. Bolton's book, or did he not?
Answering that question would be helpful to the American public who will be voting this November.
20
Apparently, his concerns weren’t valid enough until he got fired and a book deal.
So, they’re invalid now, just his opinions.
3
And what about all of the patents that Ivanka Trump Kushner has received fro the Chinese government?
33
Who is telling the truth, Bolton or Barr?
Bolton is a far-right ideologue, but there’s no evidence he’s anything but honest.
Barr is a bald-faced serial liar. His distortions and sycophantic nonsense have been on view for all to see.
No contest. Bolton wins this game of he said/he said.
343
@Charlie B
Why Bolton has been caught exaggerating a time or two? at the end he is just another politician willing to sell books...
2
@Charlie B Obviously it's Bolton who is probably telling the truth since we already know William Barr lies as was evidenced by the Barr Report he rolled out before the Mueller Report was made public. Mr. Mueller completely disagreed with Barr's Report findings.
48
@Charlie B
"but there’s no evidence he’s anything but honest."
If you ignore the run up to the Iraq war, that would be true.
25
If there is any question regarding who to believe, Bolton or Barr, I clearly pick Bolton. I have watched and heard Barr lie over and over again as well as exaggerate and distort the truth. Bolton, on the other hand has no record of lying in public or on video. I cannot understand how Trump corrupts most of those who work for him. He has corrupted Generals, Lawyers, politicians his hard working staff. They now lie just like Trump. Not all of them of course. General Mattis had enough and so far as I know, did not lie for Trump. Unfortunately, lying leads to mistrust and that is where we are now.
232
@Paul Raffeld Not sure if Trump corrupted those Generals, Lawyers and politicians or they were already corrupt.
Their alignment has a a simple answer tho in the old saying "water seeks its own level".
26
@Paul Raffeld be careful all politicians exagerate and lie.. and one willing to "tell all" for books is not the best standard for honesty
3
@Paul Raffeld " I cannot understand how Trump corrupts most of those who work for him. "
Rick Wilson, (never-Trumper)......."everything Trump touches dies" explains it all.
7
Corruption with no limits. But we already knew that.
And trump will have an uphill battle trying to stop the book's publication on the grounds of presidential privilege. As a law professor wrote yesterday in the WaPo, trump has forfeited the privilege by publicly declaring Bolton a liar, and thus commenting on this "privileged" conversation. And as trump continues to issue denials and further claims that Bolton's lying, he'll be further forfeiting any legal grounds for preventing Bolton from publishing his book as is.
182
@Sixofone another "fire and fury" anyone remember that one???? Bolton is doing this out of spite. makes him a little man.
1
Bolton can testify under oath. So can Trump and Barr. But Trump and Barr would never testify because they would lie all over the place.
6
Great points. Trump’s inability to keep his mouth shut (or his Twitter account) has got him in this mess. Now there is nothing, no assertion of executive privilege, to prevent Bolton from publishing or testifying to the Senate.
8
If only half of what Bolton says in his book are true then he must be put on the stand and say these allegations under oath. In addition, Barr should be investigated for his involvement, but then who investigates the investigators in a Trump administration?
21
Between Bolton and Barr, I believe Bolton even though I don't agree with his philosophy of the Big bomb Dropping USA. Bolton was raised in this system. He's spent his life seeking the job he finally quit. He believes in the Structutre of Government and Constitutional rule. Alas, the President would have no idea what I'm talking about.
28
@MacIver Bolton believes the only solution is a military solution. In comes the loud mouth, egotistical Trump and he cant deal. Bolton is told to "remember his place" in public, he made public declarations contradicting his boss. NOT a good move for any employee let alone one who is dealing with North Korea. Too often goverment officials forget they are paid to do a job and they were not elected by the people to make policy. The constitution clearly gives ZERO power to bureaucrats. Instead the three branches are to have equal say. Bolton does not belong to any branch.
@Yel
Usually one finds that elected Presidents tend to listen to those advisors who've been active in their specialities for years. A National Security Advisor owes his duty of care to the Constitution and the nation, not to the person in the White House. His job is to protect the USA and advise the Presdient how to do so. If the President is dumb enough to refuse advice, then we end up where we are.
9
Safe to say that Trump with the aid of his party is trying to turn this country into a banana republic and hasn’t lost a single vote along the way. Its a sad day for all those who died defending the principals of our Constitution.
46
There are many true patriots in the U.S. government (referred to by Trump and his supporters as the "Deep State") who worry about just what sort of state secrets Trump has already given away to other world leaders like Putin. We see how he blurts out secret information in his public statements because he is too ignorant to understand the consequences of his revelations. Trump is an intelligence nightmare right out there in public view and on Twitter. In the past, moles who revealed the things Trump has revealed to American enemies would have gone to the "chair".
17
Trump follows in the long tradition of US presidents supporting dictators/authoritarians if it is viewed in our interest to do so, e.g. the Shah, Somoza, Marcos, Mubarak, Pinochet, Trujillo, the Brazilian Generals, Hussein (as long as he was fighting Iran), the Taliban (as long as they were fighting the Soviet Union), the white South African government, Suharto, Stroessner, Franco, etc.
7
@TPK its called American interests. and you are correct.
@TPK
There is a difference.
Traditionally, our elected representatives in Congress were about as beholden to United Fruit and Exxon as our presidents were, and we had at least some potential democratic say about what was done in "our interest."
Mr. Trump, dealing directly with the autocrats he views as congenial peers, is cutting out all the middlemen. Each ruler gets resources of the other ruler's nation for his own personal benefit, and nobody else in either nation even knows what has happened.
The person in the White House leaking the Bolton book information apparently doesn't have much allegiance to Trump. We'll see how much Bolton has.
10
We have known all this, but Bolton is the eyewitness the GOP has been demanding.
24
Does the word “trademark “ ring a bell?
4
When the Trump nightmare is over, Americans will be dumbfounded to learn how this felonious fraud raped the nation's coffers, profited from his office with total impunity, stole everything in sight, and snickered all the while. Hi entire family has been schooled in Trump's ways of thievery and felonious behavior. Whether he's impeached, resigns, or win re-election (God forbid), Trump's primary legacy will be one of abject criminality. We were warned; we just chose to look the other way.
103
@H. Clark, After George W Bush's illegal use of torture, illegal wiretaps, and lies about Iraq's weaponry, Obama decided to "heal" America by not delving into his predecessors crimes. I hope that the next President realizes you cannot heal a nation by looking the other way at criminality, and prosecutes Trump and his cohorts six ways from Sunday.
22
@H. Clark projecting? We are finding out about the Biddens. We will find out if those pallets of cash (send in the middle of the night to Iran) somehow were not shaved off a few mil of so and fell into the Obamas hands? ( you know shipping and handling fee? Ever notice how politicians like the Clintons, and Biddens and Obamas enter middle class and leave multi millionares?
Yel,
Russians call Biden Bidden. Interesting.
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"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them", Ida B. Wells
Thankyou!
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While this is yet more evidence damning the ugly and terrible Trump presidency, let's not forget that our country has a legacy of supporting, inserting, and glad-handing authoritarian despots all over the world: Pinochet, Samosa, Marcos, The Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein (don't forget, he was an ally in the 1980s... and we helped put him in power in the 1970s).
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Remember that one hour private one-on-one conversation with Putin in Finland? Remember how Trump melted down like a scared child in front of the world after that? Don’t you think what happened there dwarfs everything we are talking about now? In fact, Trump’s indignation regarding this impeachment is probably fueled by this.... he’s done way way way worse stuff than this silly Ukrainian extortion. It’s so unfair that this should be the thing that he gets impeached for.
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@Baldwin
You are exactly right. And his meeting with Putin in the oval office? You just know he's ranting to Giuliani about how unimpressive his Ukraine shakedown was compared to many other things he's gotten away with. When he got elected after boasting on tape about sexually assaulting women, he surely assumed he had been crowned king. God how I detest the man and his enablers. It's time we send all the Republicans on a junket to mainland China.
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The Republicans want a one party authoritarian system of government. That is why they are supporting this dictator.
These people only care about money and power.
We are a failed democracy .
He will never leave office and will incite violence from his well armed supporters to maintain power.
This is going to get bloody.
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@cathy, Confirming your comment, the NYT is concurrently running a story about how loyalty to Trump is the number one issue for Republican primary voters. Republican congressmen who dare speak out against Trump get a primary challenge from a candidate accusing the incumbent, above all else, of insufficient loyalty to Trump. Really scary.
14
Time for the House to impeach again.
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The Republican Senate, the Republican Electoral College and Republican voters are all okay with right-wing authoritarianism, executive lawlessness, and the daily shredding of the United States Constitution as they wave their fake, phony American flags at America's descent into darkness, dictatorship and unregulated corruption at the highest level in the land.
This Administration and its Republican co-conspirators are a nationwide AMBER ALERT.
American values and democratic ideals have vanished in Republistan !
America is missing !
Register and vote.
November 3 2020
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@Socrates The Homeland Security Threat Levels is Red, the highest level, meant “severe risk of terrorist attacks but it's not from outside threats but with Republicans dismantling American democracy.
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What a confederacy of self promoting dunces.
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Holy Mackerel!
The Attorney General had a discussion with Bolton that the president was effectively granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders of Turkey and China".
William Barr did NOT take any action, so how is he NOT complicit in this on going drama of potential influence?
I am beginning to see why the White House and Senate Republican leaders were pushing towards "a quick acquittal of President Trump this week in his impeachment trial."
It wasn't because of his blatant innocence but rather, because of his brazen guilt.
Bolton's latest tidbit isn't merely a game changer, but possibly a game closer . . .
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@Marge Keller yes-for Senate Republicans, the sooner this is over, the less that comes out and the less negative exposure for them.
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@squrt29 - What's probably keeping Republicans awake at night is knowing that fter they acquit Trump, Bolton's book will come out and destroy all the Republican excuses, exposing them for the craven cowards they are, and knowing their names will go down in history as craven cowards.
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@MegWright
Ooooh - I like the way you think. And you are probably correct. Good point.
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Reading the comments by the WH and Justice, I am reminded of my prior conclusion that everything that comes out of Trump's Administration is a misstatement, a misunderstanding or a lie. The Executive Branch has lost all credibility in my eyes. Sad.
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I do not agree with John Bolton's policies and his war monger mentality. But I trust him as an honest bold patriotic person without a little doubt. It is quite possible for Trump to grant favor to the autocratic leaders of the world. It is more true if he or his family members have financial interest . Trump is an extremely greedy for money and power. He loves the autocratic dictators and wants to be like them. He hates our constitution and democracy.
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"Mr. Bolton’s account underscores the fact that the unease about Mr. Trump’s seeming embrace of authoritarian leaders..." Seeming embrace? Oh, Michael & Maggie, you make me giggle. We've witnessed the Impeached *president kowtow to Putin while disavowing our own intelligence agencies in favor of Putin's propaganda. And that happened following a 2 hour private meeting of which all notes have been destroyed. We've witnessed the Impeached *president brag about his exchange of "love letters" with Kim like a 13 year old girl. We've witnessed the Impeached *president side with murderous MBS after the dismembering of a U.S.-resident journalist.
Revelations of Bolton's book certainly add more stench to the rot within this administration. But those of us who've been awake the past 3 years have already witnessed plenty to confirm the Impeached *president certainly does embrace authoritarian leaders. No "seeming" about it.
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@Heidi A Thank you for the shocking recap of realities we have already almost forgotten in a our collective case of consecutive traumatic amnesia episodes.
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If there is one alleged human being in Washington who is more contemptible than Donald Trump, it is John Bolton. No matter the situation, Bolton's answer is war.
There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Bolton would easily lie as revenge for Trump not starting one or more of his cherished wars.
I do not want Trump to remain in office, but the Senate should ignore this evil, EVIL man.
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Is this what the Democrats want to drag into this impeachment trial? Trump's conversations with world leaders? One has to be insane to demand something like this. The Democrats are simply trying to turn this trial in their favor. As politicians, it is their right to do so. But it is also a right of the Republican not to allow this to happen--and they have a majority.
1
What the Congress wants to “drag” into the impeachment hearings is direct evidence of a corrupt president self dealing while undermining our national security and democratic elections.
Mr Bolton must testify. If trump is as innocent as he claims, the Republicans should welcome Bolton, but of course they will not.
Because Republicans know what is obvious and plain for all to see. trump is undermining our national security and democracy in shameless pattern of self dealing.
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@Gennady Trump's dealings with authoritarian world leaders is not some minor issue, that can be explained away as 'sour grapes from the Democrats'. It goes to the very heart of our national security. It's really time to pay attention to the evidence laid out during the impeachment trial, and understand that if Trump gets acquitted, he will feel emboldened to do it again and again. With disastrous results for the US and the world in general.
2
It's bad enough that Trump has an "seeming embrace of authoritarian leaders." What compounds that problem is that the Republicans either don't care, don't have an issue with those relations, or worse yet, supports those relationships along side Trump.
I understand that old adage of "keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer" but this kind of "soft spot for authoritarians" that Trump appears to have is crossing the line. For him to declare that he is "a big fan" of this demeanor of leadership should be raising one red flag after another.
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@Marge Keller, Trump's soft spot for authoritarian leaders is based on their corruption. Those darned leaders of democracies like Trudeau and Macron care only about what is good for their countries. There is little business Trump can do with them.
17
If William Barr had worries about Trump's corruption of power and kissing up to foreign powers he sure got over them quickly as he now defends his boss at every turn. Where is William Barr in all of this? Mute as a post as is Mike Pompeo who also has bee at the heart of the Trump conspiracy, but avoids any responsibility.
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@just Robert . Pompeo blew a gasket when Mary Louise Kelly asked him about Ukraine. Just what are they all so afraid of?
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Bolton is a war hawk who promoted regime change and undermined global arms control. Bolton is a loose cannon. That is why President Trump fired him.
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@Sam Freeman
Jeez, if Bolton is a loose cannon, what does that make Trump?
A ticking time bomb.
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Trump brought Bolton onto his staff knowing full well he was a war hawk and supported regime change. He brought Bolton onboard for exactly those reasons.
He fired Bolton because Bolton is an ideologue (even if a dangerous one) and wouldn’t offer him the unconditional boot licking he has gotten used to from Pompeo and Barr.
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@Sam Freeman, if Bolton is a "loose cannon," Trump is a "loose nuclear missile," and he should also be fired before he does any more damage!
9
If President Trump is acquitted, do his actions and activities which prompted the impeachment, become precedent? Does acquittal on these matters, make these, and related activities, acceptable ways to behave, going forward?
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@Dougls Absolutely they do.
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@Dougls
The answer, unfortunately, is yes.
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@Dougls Depends on who controls Congress. I assure you that the GOP will have little problem screaming about similar behavior from a Democratic president.
1
Corruption on a scale far exceeding any prior administration is why Trump needs to be removed from office. Prior electred officials were far from perfect, but under Trump's leadership anything and everything is dependent solely on the benefit to Trump. If he isn't removed from office, then his Presidency becomes the blueprint for all future Presidents. Is this how you want Washington to work?
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So, essentially, Bolton had a policy disagreement with the President.
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@johnlo Essentially Bolton had a problem with Trump's Personal Benefit Policy. Big difference.
1