On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) stated that while former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s claims are “consistent” with what we already know about President Trump’s behavior, “it is curious to all of us that he wasn’t willing to say this stuff to Congress. But he is willing to say it when he can make money.” Murphy further stated that while he isn’t suggesting Bolton’s allegations are false, “you do have to question his motives.”
Host Jake Tapper began the interview by stating that Democrats think Bolton should have testified during the impeachment trial and if he didn’t, Republicans should have voted to subpoena him and “I don’t want to waste any time on that. Because the allegations he’s making are so stunning.”
Murphy said that Bolton’s allegations about Trump asking China for help getting re-elected are “stunning, but not surprising. The president made very clear early on in his tenure that if a foreign government came to him with an offer of election help, he would not report them to the authorities, that he’d hear them out. … So, nothing in Bolton’s book really changes what we have been told consistently by President Trump.”
Murphy added that Bolton’s allegations about Trump obstructing justice are “consistent with what we know about this president. At the same time, I know you told me I couldn’t say it, but it is important to note that John Bolton is trying to make money here. And it is curious to all of us that he wasn’t willing to say this stuff to Congress. But he is willing to say it when he can make money. I’m not suggesting that what he’s saying isn’t true. I’m just saying that you do have to question his motives. And I have to question his motives even as a Democrat. But, yes, you are getting further color in this book about this president’s love affair with dictators, information in this book that suggests President Trump may have gotten advance notice that President Xi was going to set up concentration camps for Muslims and may have in fact endorsed that idea in a private meeting. All of this is just incredibly disturbing. And it just speaks to how huge a job President Biden is going to have to try to turn around this sort of campaign of affection for dictators around the world.”
Tapper denied that he told Murphy that he couldn’t say something.
(h/t Grabien)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.