Now that the New York Times has the breaking news that Bolton’s manuscript affirms that Trump withheld Ukrainian aid until the Ukrainians investigated Democrats and the Bidens, official Washington DC has no idea what this will week will bring.
First, the headline:
NEW: Trump told his then- NSA John Bolton in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391M in Ukraine security aid until Ukraine officials helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to Bolton's unpublished manuscript.https://t.co/uxb5r1acMk [1] pic.twitter.com/WJxIsVzrUe [2]
— Polly Sigh (@dcpoll) January 27, 2020 [3]
The Senate is supposed to vote this week, on whether the trial should involve witnesses and documents:
The first Q from D's in the 16 hours must be: Bolton has conclusive evidence of guilt and you won't let him testify. WHY?
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 26, 2020 [4]
There are serious questions about who leaked the story to the Times and why:
NEW: The New York Times learned about the contents of the Bolton manuscript BEFORE the White House press shop, per a source with direct knowledge. The manuscript has been at the White House for several weeks, per Bolton's adviser Sarah Tinsley. https://t.co/eV45bmQPqw [5]
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) January 27, 2020 [6]
Now powerful ethical questions might be asked of Trump’s own lawyers – who could possibly be in very serious, perhaps criminal, trouble:
Bolton sent a draft of his unpublished manuscript to the White House [lawyers] for a standard review process for some current and former officials who write books.
More proof of how WH Counsel Pat Cipollone lied to the Senate during the impeachment trial. https://t.co/MriY8p2DMd [7]
— Polly Sigh (@dcpoll) January 27, 2020 [8]
Rick Wilson – per usual – nails the summation:
1/ Sitting down for a dinner with REDACTED and the Bolton news is lighting up my phone.
Watch for Mitch and the WH team (but I repeat myself) to work overtime to end the entire proceedings as fast as possible.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 27, 2020 [9]
2/ This Bolton information is previously unheard, entirely relevant, directly makes the president’s direct command of the scheme of illegal extortion apparent.
Unless you vote to demand it, your not Senators. You’re co-conspirators.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 27, 2020 [10]
I do not know how Republicans now avoid voting to hear from witnesses. McConnell tried to run out the clock, and didn’t quite make it. As it now stands, the Defense argument has been that there was no direct evidence of the crime.
The direct evidence is now on the front page of the New York Times.
I don’t know how they’ll avoid hearing from the witnesses, and I don’t know how Republicans will avoid voting Trump out of office, I am nearly certain that Republicans will do both. But they’ll have a much much harder time than it looked like just this morning.
This will be an interesting week.
And the Washington Post reporter on Kasie DC just said “and there is a lot more about to come out.”
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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom