WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump unleashed on Thursday a stinging attack on his former national security adviser John Bolton after a new book written by Bolton has sparked a political firestorm in the country.
In his book, Bolton has called the US president an “erratic” and “stunningly uninformed” commander in chief. The former national security adviser also accused Trump of soliciting China’s help in his reelection.
Trump, in a series of Twitter comments, called Bolton’s book “a compilation of lies and made up stories, all intended to make me look bad. Many of the ridiculous statements he attributes to me were never made, pure fiction. Just trying to get even for firing him like the sick puppy he is!”
Blaming Bolton for a collapse of peace talks with North Korea, Trump said in his tweet: “When Wacko John Bolton went on Deface the Nation and so stupidly said that he looked at the “Libyan Model” for North Korea, all hell broke out. Kim Jong Un, who we were getting along with very well, went “ballistic”, just like his missiles — and rightfully so...”
“He didn’t want Bolton anywhere near him. Bolton’s dumbest of all statements set us back very badly with North Korea, even now. I asked him, “what the hell were you thinking?” He had no answer and just apologized. That was early on, I should have fired him right then & there!” Trump added.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has filed an emergency order seeking to block the next week’s scheduled publication of a 577-page book on national security grounds.
The White House is also seeking a court order to block the release of the book titled “The Room Where It Happened,” claiming it contains confidential national security information that should be kept secret even though several US news outlets obtained advance copies of it and on Wednesday started writing extensive stories about Bolton’s allegations.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday called Bolton’s decision to go ahead with the release of a book “absolutely appalling" and "despicable." — Agencies
