Republican senator tellingly claims John Bolton revealed 'nothing new'

John Barrasso.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In an apparent attempt to seek calm in light of the leaks from former National Security Adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.) may have actually revealed a flaw in President Trump's defense.

Barrasso on Monday said during a press conference on impeachment that there's "nothing new" in Bolton's revelations about Trump's alleged Ukraine quid pro quo, and that it seems "to be an effort to sell books," echoing comments from his colleague Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) from earlier in the day. But it was subsequently pointed out that admitting there's "nothing new" in Bolton's book is not the best look for a Republican, since it would seemingly reveal that GOP lawmakers have always known what occurred between the Trump administration and Ukraine.

If that is indeed the case, they'll have to either continue feigning ignorance or just come out and say they don't have a problem with Trump's actions. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.