John Bolton is writing a book about the Trump administration — and White House officials are reportedly concerned
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton looks ready to have his say.
Exactly one month after his exit, Axios reported Thursday Bolton is planning to write a book about his time in the Trump administration. He's reportedly being represented by Javelin's Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn, who previously represented former FBI Director James Comey.
President Trump and Bolton parted on bad terms, to say the least, with Trump announcing in September he fired Bolton, only for Bolton to immediately begin texting reporters to say he actually resigned. The two reportedly got into a "bitter argument" right before his ouster about Trump's plan to host the Taliban at Camp David.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Almost immediately after Bolton was gone, Trump began publicly trashing him, telling reporters the day following his exit he "made some very big mistakes" and "got us into Iraq."
"I hope we've left in good stead, but maybe we haven't," Trump added.
It seems safe to say they haven't, especially since Bolton reportedly "ripped" Trump at a private event in September. Now, Axios reports senior White House officials have "privately expressed concerns about what Bolton might say and reveal about his time serving Trump." Trump himself, clearly, won't be happy with Bolton's plans. The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reports that when former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly left the administration, Trump specifically asked him not to write a book; he has reportedly told aides, "I hate these books."
Although Bolton said last month he has a "self-imposed restriction" about going into details about his White House tenure, he vowed after his ouster that he'd "have my say in due course." This book will give him a platform to do just that, and The Daily Beast reported last month Bolton was already speaking with literary agents about writing it, with one source saying, "He has a lot to dish."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
US citizens are carrying passports amid ICE fearsThe Explainer ‘You do what you have to do to avoid problems,’ one person told The Guardian
-
All roads to Ukraine-Russia peace run through DonetskIN THE SPOTLIGHT Volodymyr Zelenskyy is floating a major concession on one of the thorniest issues in the complex negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
-
Why is Trump killing off clean energy?Today's Big Question The president halts offshore wind farm construction
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
