Former national security adviser John Bolton's impending 592-page memoir alleges Donald Trump of offering personal favors to dictators he liked. Aside from that, the excerpts published by multiple outlets imply that Trump supported the idea of having more concentration camps in China, and relied on Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win the 2020 election.
Moreover, Trump wasn't aware that Britain is a nuclear power and even asked if Finland was part of Russia, Bolton reportedly wrote in his book. Bolton's book also highlights an incident when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo handed him a note with an insulting remark about the president, during his visit to North Korea in 2018.
An excerpt from the controversy-plagued book was published in the Wall Street Journal, as well as The New York Times based on some parts of the manuscript. These excerpts suggest Bolton used harsh words for Democrat impeachment managers who wanted him to testify for their inquiry into the president's dealings with Ukraine.
Bolton attributes the unfavorable impeachment outcome to Democratic impeachment advocates' being obsessed with their Ukraine blitzkrieg last year, and not allocating enough time to systematically enquire about the president's approach throughout his entire foreign policy. Touting it as a Hamilton inspired book, the Department of Justice had filed a complaint against it in federal court just a day before the variegated excerpts surfaced online.
During a Senate hearing on June 17, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer debunked Bolton's claims about Trump seeking China's help with the impending election. He denied it ever happened, adding that he was there and doesn't recall that ever happening. Lighthizer said he didn't believe it was true, or ever happened.
Trump allies have accused Bolton of trying to sell his books by loading them with rabble-rousing claims. They also pointed out that Bolton received a whopping $2 million for the memoir and didn't want to testify during the president's impeachment proceedings. Democrats were understandably upset with Bolton at the time as he had refused to provide an affidavit in the Senate trial, without specific reasons.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who spearheaded the impeachment effort, slammed the national security adviser, tweeting that Bolton's staff were called to testify in front of the House to Trump's abuses, and did. Despite having a lot to lose, Schiff said they showed a lot of courage. When Bolton was asked, he refused and said he would sue if subpoenaed. Schiff said he saved it for his new book, adding that Bolton may be an author, but he is no patriot.