Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
“John Bolton has the evidence…”
Surprise!
After White House lawyers’ brief rebuttal (less than 3 hours) managed to tear apart Rep. Schiff and the House Managers’ 20-plus-hour ‘odyssey’ in the Senate impeachment trial, is anyone surprised that – right at the last minute – a ‘bombshell’ is leaked to the media that promises – as always – “this time we got him.”
This time, The New York Times reports that President Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton alleges in his forthcoming book that the president explicitly told him”
“[Trump] wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens.”
Bolton also wrote that several top cabinet officials had knowledge of Trump’s demands, including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr, as well as acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, according to NYT.
The leak – if true – contradicts Trump’s claim that he never tied the hold-up of Ukrainian aid to his demands for investigations into Burisma corruption surrounding Hunter Biden’s exorbitant pay for doing sweet F.A.
Of course, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer instantly responded to the NYT story, tweeting:
“John Bolton has the evidence. It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial.”
And The House Managers were even stronger in tone, demanding Bolton as witness…
House Managers Statement on New York Times Report on John Bolton Washington, DC
Today, the House Managers in the impeachment trial of the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump – Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, Jason Crow, and Sylvia Garcia– issued the following joint statement:
“Today’s explosive revelation that President Trump personally told former National Security Advisor John Bolton that he would continue the freeze on military aid to Ukraine until that country agreed to his political investigations confirms what we already know. There can be no doubt now that Mr. Bolton directly contradicts the heart of the President’s defense and therefore must be called as a witness at the impeachment trial of President Trump.
“Senators should insist that Mr. Bolton be called as a witness, and provide his notes and other relevant documents. The Senate trial must seek the full truth and Mr. Bolton has vital information to provide. There is no defensible reason to wait until his book is published, when the information he has to offer is critical to the most important decision Senators must now make — whether to convict the President of impeachable offenses.
“During our impeachment inquiry, the President blocked our request for Mr. Bolton’s testimony. Now we see why. The President knows how devastating his testimony would be, and, according to the report, the White House has had a draft of his manuscript for review. President Trump’s cover-up must come to an end.
“Americans know that a fair trial must include both the documents and witnesses blocked by the President – that starts with Mr. Bolton.”
Sarah Tinsley, a Bolton spokeswoman, declined to comment on the accuracy of the report regarding the ambassador’s manuscript.
“The ambassador transmitted a hard-copy draft of his manuscript to the White House for pre-publication review by the National Security Council,” she said in an telephone interview.
“The ambassador has not passed the manuscript to anyone else, only the NSC.”
So another internal White House leak?
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
“Bombshell! “, “Explosive revelations! “, “The walls are closing in!”, “The beginning of the end!”
Best PR a book could get
Trump, if he had any brains or courage, would have marched out verified reports of the neo-nazi Azov and assorted other neo-nazi battalions gaining access to US supplied weapons and using them against Donbass civilians in cut and dry war crimes as a reason that he held off this aid until it was ‘vetted’. He even had Sen. Leahy’s law (a Democrat) barring military aid to Azov (and long forgotten), as a pretext.
But he’s too afraid of again being labeled a ‘Putin puppet’. Trump, the ‘stable genius’ is a coward and not all that bright.
“Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis”
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/380483-congress-bans-arms-to-controversial-ukrainian-militia-linked-to-neo-nazis
Sure they do instead it they will be sold to some shell organization and then transferred to the Nazi’s, old scam but works every time.The same scam that we aren’t funding/arming ISIS we simply let another do it in our place while we hide in the shadows.!!!
That point aside, it was the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on the Dems, instead of that limp-wristed ‘but Obama never supplied weapons’.
Trump blew a perfect setup. He’s a simpleton, or maybe just a coward. Maybe his daughter’s running things again through her veil of tears, talking him into another war crime once more Donbass civilians fall to his new weapons.
Just another chapter in the ongoing soap show where you never know until tomorrow what happened today,Paul Craig Roberts was right when he said (Americans are dumb shits) as they lap up the dog and pony show known as the U.S. political system.!!!
when the hell is my government gonna wake up, and build a wall? This shithole is an existential threat to my nation. When the inevitable happens, these same shitbags that have utterly destroyed their own democracy will flood across our southern border like the excrement from a back-up toilet.
You’ll have to deport your fifth-column Ukrainian neonazi diaspora first. Then we’ll think you’re serious. Until then, I can’t be sure which is the bigger pile of excrement.
PS: Does the Canadian Embassy in Kiev still host that dedicated safe room for Maidan snipers, or has that been put to better use by now?
PPS: Are your MP’s still collecting funds for Right Sector at Provincial Fairgrounds or have they moved onto bigger and better things?
No sorry, I disagree, the issues with Canadian government involvement with fascists in the Ukraine is driven more by US foreign policy that the relatively marginalized Ukraine fascist community in Canada. Freeland (and yes, I know who her Grandfather is) would never have even BEEN foreign minister if it wasn’t for her cosy relationship with Clinton and the US regime that is conducting this coup. And one could EASILY make the case that with the replacement of Freeland as foreign minister by Champagne, that process has begun. But an influx of Americans into my country is a far bigger existential… Read more »
Besides, Canadians don’t really give flying $%# whether or not “Americans” think “we’re serious”. Where the hell do you get off assuming that what you think of our country matters to Canadians? Oh yea, you are the “shining light on the hill”. Your attitude is PRECISELY why we need to close the border, and do it NOW. You have managed to utterly DESTROY any meaningful semblance of democracy in your own country, and now you want to come here and “fix” ours? SERIOUSLY??!!
Ha ha, got you going there, eh? Good for you. A Canuck showing backbone to my ‘exceptional’ homeland south of the border always gets an honest smile from me.
I concede. Our infection spreads worse than coronavirus. Put up that wall. Me Personally? I always wanted to be the citizen of a Republic, not a house of cards Empire.
Yea, I’ll admit it, that “then we’ll think your serious” kinda frosted my pistol. LOL! I really don’t want to see your country go all the way down the path its already on, but I fear it might. And if it does, I don’t want to see my own nation destroyed in the process. Its easier for me as a Canadian to like the orange one, a LOT. If all he had done was pull the US out of the TPP, thereby effectively scuttling it, that would have been enough for me. His killing NAFTA was just the icing on… Read more »
He said, she said. Why would anyone believe Bolton, a known liar? This impeachment trial is exposing the rot inside the Democratic Party.
It doesn’t really matter if anyone “believes” him, a coup d’état, doesn’t really require “credibility”, its good enough to clear the bar of plausible deniability. Look at the Twin Towers and the Murrah Building bombing. As long as there’s the proper balance of doubt, fear and mental weakness in the bulk of the population, that’s enough to minimize any blowback. Its not certain whether they have cleared that bar here, time will tell, but my guess is, that in the end, people will do what they have done over the last fifty years, they will grumble, bitch about how corrupt… Read more »
As if it hadn’t already been exposed years ago.
Hahahahah! I was just watching Crosstalk, and Michael Bryant inadvertently coined what I predict will be the new “word” of 2020. Instead of “impeached” he said ImTrumped! A very apt slip of the tongue!
I used to diligently watch Crosstalk but finally got sick of Lavelle constantly interrupting guests in mid sentence, never allowing them to finish a point without jumping in, then getting all flustered himself when I saw a guest try to do it with him. He’s just super annoying to watch, even though I agree with many of his points. Watched this last one and ended up yelling out loud: “Let him finish, you annoying little man.” That’s it, enough for me. I get enough agita from reading what the latest MSM bullshit’s all about. Don’t need any more, thank you.
Truth is, he could get 10 times more guests on his show without that annoying habit. People are just put off with such boorish behavior. Why does he need guests anyway? He should just do a monologue.
I agree. And another thing he does, and I understand what he is doing, but it insults the intelligence of his viewers, he picks some of the STUPIDEST people to present the opposing position. I understand the mainstream media does the same, and I guess he feels he is countering that by setting up “left” straw men as the opposition, but by copying the obvious tactics of the mainstream media, he effectively brings the quality of debate on his show down to the same imbecilic level.
He pretty much gave up having opposing guests long ago and went into the ’round table’ format. which wouldn’t be at all bad if he just let people finish their thoughts. His opposing guests used to agree to come on just to pick a fight and they usually were pretty stupid and brainwashed, agreed. I much prefer Oksana Boyko and the way she handles opposing views, like that Russian from Chatham House she just interviewed. She’s a smart cookie with a woman’s touch, giving due consideration to both views then arguing her side, although I’d like to see her rip… Read more »
Oksana Boyko is terrific, she is always well prepared, and her questions are intelligent and meaningful. Peter is a hack next to her. Her two part interview with Assad back about two years ago was a landmark piece of journalism, still VERY worth watching today. I haven’t seen the interview you reference, I will have to look it up tomorrow and watch it.
“Why does he need guests anyway?”
Because most of his viewers watch because of Dmitri Babich?
I have a hard time with his accent. Mercouris always has my attention, even with the William Buckley style intonations.
Hahaha! That’s funny, I have been trying to put my finger on that for months, you are dead-on, he IS “channeling” Buckley! Good catch. Remember the Buckley/Gore Vidal debates? Epic! That’s the only time I can recall Buckley losing it!
A World in which “John Bolton says” is considered to be evidence is one in which the judicial system is broken.
Its the moral equivalent having your character impugned by Satan.
Well, let’s see. Bolton says Trump did, Trump says he didn’t. Assuming both to be capable liars, which one is the liar here? Trump fires Bolton, we don’t now why but let’s assume three conditions: (my apologies for being a space hog).
1) They parted ways on mutually agreeable terms. Then Bolton would have been more/less inclined to do something like this that would damage Trump, maybe impeach him. I would say; LESS inclined
2) They parted ways on antagonistic terms. Then Bolton would have been more/less inclined to do something like this that would damage Trump, maybe impeach him. I would say; MORE inclined
3) If they left on unfriendly terms and Bolton was more inclined to damage Trump, even by strengthening the hand of his ideological enemies (maybe their ideologies are closer than they’d have us believe?), then Bolton would be more/less inclined to lie about it (revenge is a powerful motivator)
I would say; MORE inclined.
There you are, the MORES have it. Bolton more than likely lied.
Bolton and the Dems, aren’t even REMOTELY ideological enemies ( conjoined twins separated at birth would be closer to the truth), cripes, don’t make me laugh!!!
Well, I did include that option in my post, after all.
Fair enough, but is it even up for debate? This is what so many fail to grasp, there really IS no line between the parties under neo-liberalism, and there is no meaningful left anymore. Its bizarre, they call Bernie a socialist, but if you look at things Eisenhower said, in some of his views(trade unions, for one), he, who we think of as this arch-conservative was left of Sanders. That’s how INSANELY far the pendulum has swung to the right. FWIW, social issues, which is how the left is defined now, have nothing to do with the Left. Zero, zilch,… Read more »
Quote: “they call Bernie a socialist” Bernie calls himself a democratic socialist. I wish he’d just use the less-controversial European term of Social Democrat but he comes out of that cadre of NJ Jewish activists from the 60-70’s that I know pretty well. My sister attended Columbia in those days and she said the entire student body was made up of mostly Jewish self-declared ‘socialist’ activists that were hyper-energized by the Vietnam War. They were as warm to the USSR in those days as their heirs are cold to today’s Russia. That was the political fad of those days (and… Read more »
Speaking of Eisenhower, this is a good fit here…
“The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Not to be redundant but Schiff is a lying sack of schit. In his verbal diarrhea session, he dares talk of 15000 casualties of “The Ukrainian Army”, when he knows damn well that half were of Donbass fighters and thousands were Donbass civilians slaughtered by his ‘Ukrainian Army’ war criminals. If there were any justice in the world, he’d be hung in the public square and spit on as he walked the gallows. My God, American politics are soooo f__cked up. Disappointed too in Stephen Cohen’s session with Aaron Mate that they showed that clip and neither mentioned that outright… Read more »
Schiff is an obscenity. As Yankee doodle Hmmf has rightfully pointed out, Canada has issues as well. The fact is, the political systems in both countries answer to the same people, but the US is REALLY f*cked up, the polarization and the fetishization of violence and force in your country is sickening, The anger and rancor is a clear sign of a nation at the end of its moral rope. And so much of what goes on in your country affects mine as well, the level of deep state propaganda in your media, and worse, (because it’s what the less… Read more »
“We’re setting sail To the place on the map from which no one has ever returned Drawn by the promise of the joker and the fool By the light of the crosses that burn Drawn by the promise of the women and the lace And the gold and the cotton and pearls It’s the place where they keep all the darkness you need You sail away from the light of the world on this trip baby Pay, you will pay tomorrow You’re gonna pay tomorrow You will pay tomorrow Save me, save me from tomorrow I don’t want to sail… Read more »
Funny isn’t it? One can post about how immoral Trump, Biden, Clinton or the deep state are, and get up-votes by the dozen. As soon as you talk about the engagement of the society itself, and us as members of that society in the process of deconstruction and a moral and ethical breakdown, its crickets. Real change always occurs from the bottom up. But the culture of victimhood that you have been brainwashed into accepting prevails. The process of mass indoctrination, begun by Bernays and Lippman a hundred years ago, guided from above by the Tavistock institute, the Rhodes-Milner round… Read more »
Schiff…..How DARE HE!
Once again, The Donald has gone far to expose the goofballs that have been running the gubmint for so long … considering that – since at least Jan 1989 – the US foreign policy has been run by institutionalised mobsters, it’s almost axiomatic that one follows the rules of the game players, most notably that of keeping one’s friends close but one’s enemies closer … as we’ve seen so many times in recent history, the notion of keeping things within the “family” has gone away in favour of doing a deal with the gubmint and its own “captains” … The… Read more »