Addressing ongoing criticism of his decision to withhold testimony during President Trump's first impeachment trial, recently indicted former National Security Adviser John Bolton defended himself Thursday by confidently asserting that his firsthand evidence of presidential corruption would have been completely useless to prevent the current situation in which he faces 180 years in prison on charges brought by that same president, a outcome he describes as "totally unforeseeable."
Bolton, who told reporters in 2020 he believed testifying "would not have made a difference" and bet "a dollar right here and now" on it, remains steadfast in his assessment even as federal prosecutors appointed by the president he declined to incriminate have charged him with eighteen counts related to his 2020 book about Trump's misconduct. Sources confirmed Bolton has yet to collect on his dollar bet, though he may have ample time to pursue the matter during his potential 180-year sentence.
The former adviser, who was fired by Trump via tweet in September 2019 after clashing over foreign policy and being excluded from key meetings, explained that sharing his direct knowledge during the impeachment trial would have accomplished nothing beyond potentially preventing a constitutional crisis, maintaining democratic accountability, and possibly avoiding his current legal jeopardy. "When you really think about it, testifying under oath before Congress is basically the same as not testifying and writing a book later," Bolton explained to reporters from his lawyer's office.
Bolton's manuscript reportedly revealed Trump directly tied nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to investigations of Joe Biden—precisely the allegation at the center of the impeachment trial, and exactly the evidence Trump's defense team said didn't exist when they argued "not a single witness testified that the president himself said that there was any connection."
Instead of testifying, Bolton saved his revelations for "The Room Where It Happened," a book he was reportedly paid $2 million for, ensuring his constitutional duty would only be fulfilled after collecting royalties and well past the point of legislative consequence. The book's title proved prophetic, as Bolton is now learning that rooms where things happen also include courtrooms and federal penitentiaries.
Trump responded to the book by calling Bolton a "criminal" who "should go to jail" for including classified information and labeling him a "washed-up guy" and "crazy warmonger." The Trump administration then sued to block publication, and revoked Bolton's security clearance and Secret Service protection despite ongoing death threats from Iran.
Now, Bolton faces charges including eight counts of transmission of national defense information and ten counts of retention of such information, making him the third Trump critic indicted in recent weeks. The case centers on the same book Trump previously tried to suppress, which Bolton's lawyers note was investigated and resolved years ago under the Biden administration.
Bolton called the indictment politically motivated, stating "Trump's retribution against me began then, continued when he tried unsuccessfully to block publication of my book before the 2020 election, and became one of his rallying cries in his re-election campaign."
At press time, Bolton was reportedly working on a new book titled "The Room Where I'm Now Being Prosecuted: Why Speaking Truth to Power Earlier Definitely Wouldn't Have Been Pointless."
