Representative Denny Heck (D-WA) Monday on CNN accused former Trump administration National Security Adviser John Bolton of only caring about selling his upcoming book.
When host Kate Bolduan asked about reports on Bolton’s speech at Duke University tonight, Heck said, “That would be John’ please buy my book’ Bolton.”
He continued, “Look, Kate, the truth of the matter is that anybody that thinks that any public utterance by John Bolton or private utterance, for that matter, or any action on his part is designed to do anything than sell more copies of his book is frankly just being naive. That has been the case from the get-go. We told him we would subpoena him. And he said, ‘I will not respond to that until the court orders me to.’ He had every opportunity to voluntarily come forward. He refused, despite the fact that many others did. What John Bolton is interested in, frankly, is selling as many copies of his book as he can. Period. Full stop.”
Bolduan asked, “What is stopping him from speaking out? He says the threat of legal action from the executive branch. Do you believe it?”
Heck said, “No, and it’s simply not true. It’s categorically untrue. The last three years, what we’ve seen is wholesale degradation of norms and degradation of institutions. Despite the latter, we’ve been fortunate that individuals have been willing to step up and frankly act in profiles in courage.”
Bolduan asked, “Do you care what he has to say at this point?”
Heck said, “Sure. I think the American people deserve to hear from somebody who was in the room about what it is that President Trump ordered Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and others at the office of budget to do in the form of withholding aid to Ukraine.”
Bolduan said, “Why not subpoena John Bolton?”
Heck said, “Because his most recent position is that ‘I will only do it if the court forces me to. And that’s just an unending series of playing rope-a-dope with him for which there’s no constructive purpose served. The truth of the matter is again — I want to repeat it, I want to reiterate it, Kate — this is all about John Bolton selling more copies of his book. If he wants to do the patriotic thing, he can do it today, right now. He could have done it yesterday. He should.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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