Democrats have repeatedly demanded that the Senate allow former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. They have argued that his testimony is vital and he can provide context into whether or not the president engaged in quid pro quo.
Interestingly enough, Democrats – and Adam Schiff in particular – want to hear from Bolton after a so-called "bombshell" excerpt from Bolton's book was released. According to a report from the New York Times, Bolton claims President Donald Trump made $391 million in military aid to Ukraine contingent upon Ukrainian officials launching an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, for corruption.
The new claim directly contradicts what he said in August, just a month after Trump's call with Zelensky. In that interview, he described the calls as "warm" and "cordial." Now his story has changed now that he's dropping a book.
What makes this a headscratcher: on numerous occasions, Schiff has talked about how horrible Bolton is and "lacks any credibility." If that's the case, why would Schiff want Bolton to testify? Why would he rely on Schiff to make his case? Probably because he knows he has absolutely zero facts on his side.
"Mr. Bolton has been AWOL. He's been more focused on the next job than doing well at the last job. And, particularly given the history where we've had the politicization of intelligence over [weapons of mass destruction], why we would pick someone who, the very same issue has been raised repeatedly, and that is John Bolton's politicization of the intelligence on Cuba and other issues," Schiff said 15 years ago. "Why would we want someone with that lack of credibility? I can't understand that."
Schiff reiterated his issues with Bolton again in 2018 when President Trump tapped Bolton to serve as his national security adviser.
"I think that Bolton is not only a bad choice. It's honestly difficult to consider a worse choice," Schiff told MSNBC's Rachel Madow. "This is someone who is likely to exaggerate the dangerous impulses of the president towards belligerence, his proclivity to act without thinking and his love of conspiracy theories... John Bolton once suggested on Fox News that the Russian hack of the DNC was a false flag operation that had been conducted by the Obama administration. So you add that kind of thinking to Joe diGenova and you have another big dose of unreality in the White House."
Congratulations, Schiff. You've done it yet again. Just when we thought you couldn't get any worse, you prove us wrong time and time again.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member