Bolton reportedly announced his support of officials who testified during impeachment inquiry
During a private event Thursday in Austin, Texas, former National Security Adviser John Bolton praised five government officials who testified in the House impeachment inquiry, KXAN reports.
During a question-and-answer session, Bolton said Fiona Hill, Tim Morrison, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, Bill Taylor, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch all "acted in the best interest of the country as they saw it and consistent to what they thought our policies are." He also said members of the Trump administration should "feel they're able to speak their minds without retribution. The idea that somehow testifying to what you think is true is destructive to the system of government we have — I think, is very nearly the reverse — the exact reverse of the truth."
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.
Taylor, the former acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, also testified that he was told aid to Ukraine was dependent on investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden. Vindman, the director of European Affairs for the White House National Security Council, was on Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and reported to his superiors that Trump requested Zelensky open an investigation into Biden. Yovanovitch testified that she was the victim of a successful smear campaign orchestrated by Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that in his upcoming book, Bolton contradicts Trump's claims that there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine. Democrats want Bolton to testify during Trump's impeachment trial, and the Senate is expected to vote on calling more witnesses Friday.
-
What is at stake for Starmer in ChinaToday’s Big Question The British PM will have to ‘play it tough’ to achieve ‘substantive’ outcomes, while China looks to draw Britain away from US influence
-
How the ‘British FBI’ will workThe Explainer New National Police Service to focus on fighting terrorism, fraud and organised crime, freeing up local forces to tackle everyday offences
-
The best family hotels in EuropeThe Week Recommends Top kid-friendly hotels with clubs, crèches and fun activities for children of all ages – and some downtime for the grown-ups
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
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’
