The White House has formally demanded that former national security advisor John Bolton not publish his new book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.” The demand, according to a report by CNN, alleges that Bolton’s book contains classified, “top secret” information that could harm the national security if it was released.
Bolton’s book, which has not been published yet, allegedly covers a portion of time during which Bolton was the security advisor to Trump. Parts of the unpublished manuscript have been obtained by publications like The New York Times, which reported that some portion of the book details Trump’s demands to withhold Congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine.
The Ukraine aid money is at the center of the impeachment of Donald Trump, and Bolton has been identified as a witness Democrats want to hear testify before the Senate trial. Republicans, acting in Trump’s interest, have repeatedly tried to block the admission of new witnesses or evidence into the trial, wishing to swiftly end the impeachment trial.
Trump’s administration has been defined by its unwillingness to allow information about the president to reach the public. For instance, Trump is the first president in the modern era to not show his tax returns before taking office. Similarly, Trump fought tooth and nail to keep former cabinet members from testifying during the House impeachment inquiry.
Now, with Bolton’s book looming, the White House seems to be desperately on the defensive, trying to keep the information from reaching the public. The allegation that the book contains “top secret” information is unusual, as Bolton, a man with a career in national security, seems to be the last person who would carelessly divulge national security secrets in a memoir.
Bolton has stated previously that he will appear before the Senate trial if he is subpoenaed, showing a willingness to work with Congress. Trump appears to have signaled he would claim executive privilege as an attempt to block Bolton from appearing, but legal experts think that this would do little to circumvent Bolton appearing if compelled by a Congressional subpoena, citing Congressional oversight as central to the branch’s role.
