Former National Security Adviser John Bolton (AP/Susan Walsh)
“This is the book Donald Trump doesn’t want you to read,” a statement by Bolton’s publisher said.
By World Israel News Staff
President Donald Trump warned former national security adviser John Bolton on Monday that he could face a “criminal problem” if his tell-all book is released next week.
“I will consider every conversation with me as president highly classified,” Trump told reporters in the White House Cabinet Room. “If the book gets out he’s broken the law, and I would think that he would have criminal problems.”
“Maybe he’s not telling the truth, he’s been known not to tell the truth a lot,” Trump said. “Any conversation with me is classified. Then it becomes even worse if he lies about the conversation, which I understand he might have in some cases.”
Trump said it would be up to Attorney General William Barr to issue any charges, but hinted that the matter would end up in court. “We’ll see what happens. They’re in court or they’ll soon be in court,” Trump said.
According to Barr, administration officials who have access to sensitive information typically sign non-disclosure agreements that require them to go through a clearance process before they can publish something based on information they accessed in the job.
“We don’t believe that Bolton went through that process and is in violation of that agreement,” Barr said.
“This is unprecedented, really,” the attorney general said. “I don’t know of any book that has been published so quickly while the officeholders are still in government, and it’s about very current events, current leaders and current policy issues, many of which are currently classified.”
Charles Cooper, a lawyer representing Bolton, denied the allegations, saying his client worked painstakingly for months with classification specialists at the White House National Security Council to make changes to avoid releasing classified material.
Bolton’s book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir” published by Simon and Schuster, is scheduled to be released on June 23.
In a Friday statement promoting Bolton’s book, the publisher said it reveals Trump’s “inconsistent” and “scattershot” decision-making processes in his dealings with allies and enemies alike.
Trump dismissed Bolton from his duties last September, citing policy disagreements.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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