XI TO HELP HIM MEDDLE IN THE
ELECTION, HELP HIM GET
RE-ELECTED BY BUYING FROM FARM
STATES THAT THE PRESIDENT NEEDED
TO GET RE-ELECTED.
JOHN BOLTON DESCRIBES IN THE
BOOK A INSTANCE WHERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP APPEARS TO IGNORE CHINA’S
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES WHILE
ENCOURAGING CONSTRUCTION OF
LARGE SCALE CAMPS TO FORCIBLY
REEDUCATE MUSLIM MINORITIES IN
CHINA.
BOLTON WRITES THIS, QUOTE, AT
THE OPENING DINNER OF THE G-20
MEETING IN JUNE OF 2019, WITH
ONLY INTERPRETERS PRESIDENT, XI
EXPLAINED TO TRUMP WHY HE WAS
BASICALLY BUILDING CONCENTRATION
CAMPS.
ACCORDING TO OUR INTERPRETER,
TRUMP SAID SHE SHOULD GO AHEAD
WITH BUILDING THE CAMPS WHICH HE
THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO
DO.
IN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE BOOK,
BOLTON WRITES ON THE 30th
ANNIVERSARY OF CHINA’S MASSACRE
OF DEMONSTRATORS IN TIANANMEN
SQUARE, TRUMP REFUSED TO ISSUE A
WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT.
THAT WAS 15 YEARS AGO, HE SAID
INACCURATELY, WHO CARES ABOUT
IT.
I’M TRYING TO MAKE A DEAL.
I DON’T WANT ANYTHING AND THAT
WAS THAT.
PETER BAKER WE CAN TICK THROUGH
EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK, AND WE
WILL THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF
THE MORNING, THE BIG QUESTION IS
HOW DID THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR STAND BY AND WATCH ALL
OF THIS?
DID HE RAISE THESE PROTESTS IN
REAL TIME AND WHY DID NOT HE
VOLUNTEER TO TESTIFY ONCE HE’D
BEEN FIRED IN SEPTEMBER DURING
THE TRIAL, DURING THE HEARINGS
INSIDE THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT?
OBVIOUSLY ADAM SCHIFF CAME OUT
YESTERDAY EXPRESSING HIS
FRUSTRATION NOT HEARING FROM
JOHN BOLTON?
SO WHY NOT THEN AND WHY NOW?
IS IT AS SIMPLE AS HE GOT A
COUPLE MILLION FOR THE BOOK?
>> IT’S A LITTLE MORE
COMPLICATED FOR THAT.
HE DID RESIST TESTIFYING DURING
THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS.
HE SAID HE HAD THE WHITE HOUSE
ON THE ONE SIDE SAYING HE
SHOULDN’T TESTIFYING WITH THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE
OTHER SAYING HE SHOULD AND HE
WOULD WAIT FOR A JUDGE TO TELL
HIM WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD AN
OBLIGATION TO TESTIFY OVER THE
OBJECTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT THEY
SERVE.
THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS CHOSE NOT TO
PURSUE THAT KIND OF LEGAL
PROCESS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO
MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG FASTER.
BY THE TIME IT GOT TO THE
SENATE, JOHN BOLTON SAID I WILL
TESTIFY IF SUBPOENAED BY THAT
POINT THE SENATE REPUBLICANS
VOTED AGAINST HAVING JOHN BOLTON
OR ANY OTHER WITNESSES TESTIFY
IN THE TRIAL.
NOW, WHAT’S INTERESTING IS WOULD
IT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE?
REMEMBER, RIGHT BEFORE THE
SENATE VOTED, MY COLLEAGUES AT
THE TIMES WROTE THAT THIS BOOK
WOULD, IN FACT, CONFIRM THE QUID
PRO QUO AT THE HEART OF THE
IMPEACHMENT CASE INVOLVING THE
UKRAINE.
NOW WE SEE IT DOES.
IT SAYS THE PRESIDENT DIRECTLY
SAID HE DEPARTMENT WANT TO GIVE
MONEY FOR SECURITY TO UKRAINE
UNTIL THEY COOPERATED WITH HIM
IN INCRIMINATING DEMOCRATS
THROUGH THESE INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD REPORTED
THAT’S WHAT JOHN BOLTON WAS
SAYING IN THIS BOOK AT THE TIME,
SENATE REPUBLICANS WENT AHEAD
AND SAID WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR
FROM HIM AND ACQUITTED THE
PRESIDENT.
JOHN BOLTON MAKE IT IS CASE THEY
WERE GOING TO DO THIS ANYWAY
REGARDLESS.
HIS ARGUMENT IS WHAT THE
DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE SHOULD
HAVE DONE IS WIDEN THEIR
INQUIRY, RATHER THAN JUST NARROW
IT ON UKRAINE, THERE ARE OTHER
EPISODES HE SAID SHOULD HAVE
BEEN INVESTIGATED.
THINGS HE CALLED A PATTERN,
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AS A WAY
OF LIFE.
>> JLONATHAN LEMIRE, TALKING
ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE’S REACTION
TO THE BOOK, TRYING TO GET THE
TOOTH PASTE BACK INTO THE TUBE
AFTER IT’S ALL OUT.
>> RIGHT.
SEEMS A LITTLE TOO LITTLE TOO
LATE.
THEY DID FILE AN INJUNCTION, THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DID IN
COURT TO HALT THE PUBLICATION OF
THIS BOOK.
THAT COMES AFTER NEWS ROOMS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE OBTAINED
A COPY, ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT
OFFICIALLY ON SALE.
THE PRESIDENT ARGUED THIS
SHOULDN’T BE OUT THERE.
HE ARGUED LAST NIGHT IN AN
INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY ON
FOX NEWS THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL
THAT JOHN BOLTON WROTE THIS
BOOK, SUGGESTING THE INFORMATION
INSIDE OF IT WAS CLASSIFIED.
NO SUGGESTION THAT THAT’S THE
CASE, THAT BOLTON BROKE THE LAW,
ANY SORT OF CLASSIFICATION LAW
BY PRINTING THIS BOOK.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENT
SEEMS TO HAVE THE ARGUMENT OF
SAYING IT’S CLASSIFIED BUT ALSO
NONE OF IT IS TRUE AND SUGGEST
SUGGESTING JOHN BOLTON IS A BAD
ACTOR, SOUR GRAPES BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT FIRED HIM A YEAR OR SO
BACK.
BOLTON SUGGESTS HE RESIGNED
INSTEAD.
THE WHITE HOUSE KNEW THIS WAS
COMING.
AT THIS POINT THERE CERTAINLY
DOESN’T SEEM -- THEY WERE ABLE
TO DELAY THE PUBLICATION, IT WAS
SLATED FOR A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AT THIS POINT THE CONTENTS OF
THE BOOK ARE OUT AND THE
QUESTION IS WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
IT REAFFIRMS THE HEART OF THE
IMPEACHMENT MATTER, THE
PRESIDENT WAS WILLING TO DEAL
WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO GET
ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE.
HE’S NOT ASKING FOR DIRT ON A
POLITICAL OPPONENT LIKE HE DID
WITH UKRAINE BUT HE IS ASKING
FOR CHINA’S HELP TO HELP HIM
RETAIN THE RED STATES, THE SORT
OF FARM STATES THAT HE FEELS HE
NEEDS TO WIN AGAIN IN 2020, IF
CHINA COULD BUY SOYBEANS AND
OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
CERTAINLY THE CLAIM ABOUT THE
CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND GIVING
HIS APPROVAL OF THOSE IS
STRIKING.
LET’S CONNECT IT, ALSO, JOE AND
MIKA, TO OUR CURRENT CRISIS WITH
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
THIS SHOWS AGAIN THE PRESIDENT
EAGER TO TURN A BLIND EYE,
ACCORDING TO BOLTON’S BOOK, TO
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BECAUSE OF A
TRADE DEAL WITH CHINA.
SAME THING WE SAW AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC,
DEPARTMENT WANT TO CRITICIZE
CHINA, PRESIDENT XI, WE TOLD
REPORT ERS HE DIDN’T WANT TO
DENOUNCE WAS CHINA WAS DOING
BECAUSE OF HIS RE-ELECTION
PROCESS.