John Bolton condemned by Susan Rice for withholding Trump testimony
Source: The Guardian
Rice criticized Bolton for refusing to testify before the House of Representatives during the impeachment hearings. It later emerged that Bolton has documented, in a forthcoming book, evidence regarding Trump and Ukraine that Democrats had sought him to provide on the record.
“I can’t imagine withholding my testimony with or without a subpoena,” Rice said at the Vanderbilt event.
“I would feel like I was shamefully violating the oath that I took to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.”
Bolton said, “I said I would testify if subpoenaed. My position is exactly the same as Joe Biden.”
Rice reportedly responded: “Except Joe Biden didn’t have firsthand knowledge about what transpired with Ukraine.”
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/19/john-bolton-susan-rice-trump-ukraine
Thank you Susan Rice for speaking up to him publicly! He needed, and needs, to be confronted about his actions and silence.
= new reply since forum marked as read
a difference to the Repug Senators--well maybe a few maybe maybe.
That said, it would have been great for the public to hear it.
Susan Rice tells Bolton that withholding testimony is 'inconceivable'
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/politics/susan-rice-john-bolton-testify-subpoena/index.html
By Jennifer Hansler, CNN
Updated 12:52 AM ET, Thu February 20, 2020
Nashville (CNN)
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Bolton, whose upcoming book is poised to contain details about President Donald Trump and his pressure campaign in Ukraine, did not provide testimony to either the House or Senate as part of the President's impeachment. At Wednesday's event, Bolton noted that he had not been subpoenaed for such information.
"In no case did I say I would reject a subpoena," he said.
"I can't imagine withholding my testimony with or without a subpoena," Rice countered.
Rice pointed to the fact that a number of Bolton's former subordinates on the National Security Council, like Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Fiona Hill, testified during the House impeachment probe and were subsequently attacked. Both had received subpoenas. Vindman was fired from the White House in recent weeks and was reassigned to the Pentagon.
"That, to me, makes it even more difficult, as a former national security adviser, not being willing to come forward," Rice said. "I would feel like I was shamefully violating the oath that I took to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic."
In response, Bolton downplayed the impact his testimony would have made on the outcome of the impeachment trial. After the President was impeached by the House, he was acquitted by the Senate in an almost entirely party-line vote. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican to find Trump guilty of one article of impeachment, abuse of power.
"I will bet you a dollar right here and now my testimony would have made no difference to the ultimate outcome," Bolton said Wednesday. "If anybody thinks to the contrary, I just don't think you knew what was going on in Washington.".......................
