According to a recent report by CNN, the Trump White House has formally threatened former National Security Adviser John Bolton to prevent him from publishing his upcoming book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.”
In a manuscript of his new book released by The New York Times, Bolton expressed willingness to testify if subpoenaed by the Senate in the ongoing trial of US President Donald Trump.
In Bolton’s new book, it is alleged that he stated Trump was willing to link $391 million worth of military aid to Ukraine to opening investigations into political rival Joe Biden.
Trump stated his intent to exert executive privilege on Bolton to prevent him from testifying in the Senate. Additionally, on Wednesday, he launched a scathing attack on Bolton, accusing him of lying to sell his book. It has now been revealed that the White House has warned Bolton against publishing the book, citing national security concerns stemming from its contents.
In a letter to Bolton’s lawyer reported by CNN, a senior official at the National Security Council wrote that the unpublished manuscript “appears to contain significant amounts of classified information” and cannot be published as written.
The letter, dated January 23, stated that some of the information was classified at the “top secret” level, indicating that it “reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security.”
“The manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information,” the letter read.
Republicans have been vocal about their opposition to witness testimonies in Trump’s Senate trial. However, with details of Bolton’s book now public, some Republicans may join the Democrats in voting for witness testimonies.
Trump is being tried by the Republican-controlled Senate following impeachment by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. These charges stem from a whistleblower report alleging that the President withheld military aid to Ukraine until assurances were made about opening an investigation into his political rival, Joe Biden.