John Bolton on why he didn’t testify in impeachment: 'It would not have made any difference'
In an interview with ABC News’s Martha Raddatz, which aired Sunday night, former national security advisor John Bolton spoke about President Trump withholding aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Trump was impeached in the House and acquitted in the Senate, but Bolton said Trump did exactly what congressional Democrats had charged. He also pointed the finger at Democrats as to why he didn't testify.
Video Transcript
JOHN BOLTON: The president wasn't shy in voicing the view of the Ukraine that that's what he wanted. It turned out not to be a convictable, impeachable offense, but it's something the American people ought to take a look at.
- In an interview with ABC News, former national security advisor John Bolton spoke about President Trump withholding aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter, leading to Trump's impeachment.
JOHN BOLTON: The linkage between the military assistance and that opportunity to go after Joe Biden didn't emerge immediately, but I could see that the issue was there. He said to me directly that that's what he had in mind.
He directly linked the provision of that assistance with the investigation.
- And Bolton defended not testifying during the impeachment trial, despite having firsthand knowledge of the president's wrongdoing.
JOHN BOLTON: I think the way the House advocates of impeachment proceeded was badly wrong. I think it was impeachment malpractice.
MARTHA RADDATZ: You could have been that person providing that testimony.
JOHN BOLTON: And it would not have made any difference.
MARTHA RADDATZ: How can you say that? How do you know?
JOHN BOLTON: Because minds were made up on Capitol Hill.
- Bolton is openly speaking for the first time about Trump's deal with Ukraine while promoting his new book, "The Room Where It Happened," but says this is not about money.
JOHN BOLTON: It has nothing to do with making a profit. It has everything to do with making sure that the constitutional responsibilities that are accorded to different branches of government are carried out the right way.
- And Bolton said he believes the impeachment investigation should have been broader and included Trump's conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
JOHN BOLTON: He focused on terms like China buying more agricultural products, which he said that Xi Jinping directly would help him in the farm states, a really, to me, stunning statement by a president to the leader of an adversarial foreign country.
