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John Bolton warns Donald Trump is a 'danger to the republic', fears he will plunge the country into an unstoppable 'downward spiral' if he beats Biden and asks: 'How can anybody call themselves a stable genius?'

President Trump poses a ‘danger for the republic’ and his re-election would put the country in even greater peril since he wouldn’t be con...

President Trump poses a ‘danger for the republic’ and his re-election would put the country in even greater peril since he wouldn’t be constrained by electoral considerations in a second term, John Bolton warns.
Trump’s former national security adviser said the president has little regard for facts and that his decisions aren’t rooted in ‘philosophy, grand strategy, or policy’ but are solely geared toward his own political future.
When asked how history will remember Trump, Bolton said: 'I hope it will remember him as a one-term president who didn't plunge the country irretrievably into a downward spiral we can't recall from. 
'We can get over one term. I have absolute confidence - even if it's not the miracle of a conservative Republican being elected in November.
John Bolton
President Trump
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton (left) warned on Sunday that the country would be in danger if President Trump (right) won re-election this fall
'Two terms, I'm more troubled about. 
'But I'm really troubled about the absence as well of a viable national security wing in the Democratic Party. 
'So this is an election for me of a choice of two unacceptable alternatives. And it's not one I relish.' 
Bolton told ABC News that the president is not fit for office, lacks 'the competence to carry out the job,' and is not a 'conservative Republican.' 
'I'm not gonna vote for him in November,' Bolton said. 
'Certainly not gonna vote for Joe Biden either. 
'I'm gonna figure out a conservative Republican to write in. 
'But this comes back to the point of why I wrote the book.' 
Earlier on Sunday, Bolton denied a report that he plans to vote for Joe Biden.
Bolton gave an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Sunday in which he said he had no plans to vote for Trump in November.
But a spokesperson for Bolton told Axios that the newspaper incorrectly reported that the lifelong Republican hawk would cast a ballot for the Democrat, Biden.
‘This statement is incorrect. The Ambassador never said he planned to vote for Joe Biden,’ Bolton spokesperson Sarah Tinsley said in a statement to Axios.
‘He has consistently said in recent days he will be writing in the name of a conservative Republican.
Judge denies Trump bid to block Bolton book
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Bolton is promoting his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which tells of his time as Trump's national security adviser
Bolton is promoting his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which tells of his time as Trump's national security adviser
‘Let there be no doubt - he will not be voting for Trump or Biden.’
Bolton has been doing media interviews in recent days promoting his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which offers a scathing assessment of President Trump’s fitness for office.
The Trump administration unsuccessfully sought to block publication of the book, claiming that it contained classified information. 
The Telegraph quoted Bolton as saying: ‘In 2016 I voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton.
‘Now, having seen this president up close, I cannot do this again.
‘My concern is for the country, and he does not represent the Republican cause that I want to back.’
Bolton continued: ‘The president does not have a philosophical grounding or strategy.
‘He does not know the difference between the national interest of the US, and the interests of Donald Trump.
‘There is confusion over the national interest and his personal interest, which is very dangerous for the country.’
‘When you are in a senior position you have an obligation to tell the truth,’ he added.
‘I was concerned after 17 months in the administration that he (Mr Trump) did not have the requisite competence to be president, and the American people need to know about that.’  
Bolton also was perplexed at how Trump can refer to himself as a 'stable genius.'
'Really? Well, how can anybody call himself a stable genius?' Bolton said. 
'It's hard for me to imagine somebody who would say that. 
'He did say it a couple times when I was in his presence. And I just didn't react to him.' 
Bolton said that Trump’s behavior ‘shows a pattern quite contrary to the image he would like to convey, of a decisive president who knows something about what he's doing.
Bolton denied a report that he intends to vote for Joe Biden (above)
Bolton denied a report that he intends to vote for Joe Biden (above)
‘There really isn't any guiding principle - that I was able to discern other than - what's good for Donald Trump's reelection,' Bolton told ABC News on Sunday.
‘Now, look, you can't take the politics out of politics. It plays a role in every aspect of decision making in the executive branch.
‘But there's no coherent basis, no strategy, no philosophy.
‘And decisions are made in a very scatter shot fashion, especially in the potentially mortal field of national security policy.
‘This is a danger for the republic.’
In the interview, Bolton defended his decision not to testify before Congress during the impeachment proceedings. 
He writes that the House committed malpractice by tailoring impeachment exclusively to Ukraine.
The Democrat-led House impeached the president after it was alleged that Trump sought to withhold aid from Ukraine unless the government in Kyiv investigated Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
As Barack Obama's vice president, Biden was in charge of US policy toward Ukraine. The president and his supporters allege that Hunter Biden obtained a position on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm because of his father's standing. 
The House Intelligence Committee sought to bring Bolton in for testimony during its impeachment probe into Trump's conduct toward Ukraine, but he didn't participate, to the consternation of some Democrats who said he was saving material for his book. 
When asked why he didn't testify, Bolton said the process in the House was too partisan. 
'I was fully prepared [to testify] - if I got a subpoena like everybody else who testified got a subpoena,' Bolton said. 
'I think the way the House advocates of impeachment proceeded was badly wrong. 
'I think it was impeachment malpractice. I think they were determined because of their own political objectives to conduct an impeachment proceeding that was very narrowly focused on Ukraine, and that went very, very quickly.'
Bolton accused Democrats of managing the impeachment so as not to 'mess up the Democratic presidential nomination.'
Bolton said he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) 'plays Trump like a fiddle.' The two men are seen above during a news conference in Helsinki in July 2018
Bolton said he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) 'plays Trump like a fiddle.' The two men are seen above during a news conference in Helsinki in July 2018
'Now, I find that conduct almost as bad and somewhat equivalent to Trump,' Bolton said. 
'That they're torqueing one of the gravest constitutional responsibilities the House of Representatives has, the power of impeachment, around their presidential nomination schedule.'
Bolton added: 'And they failed utterly to accomplish what they wanted. In fact, they made things worse. 
'Because their strategy fitted with the Trump political strategy. 
'Keep it narrow, and move it fast. So what did they do? The House advocates said, "We have proven Trump is impeached forever, and that he'd learn a lesson from it."
When asked if Trump learned his lesson after impeachment, Bolton said: 'It's absolutely 180 degrees the opposite of the truth. 
'Because he was acquitted in the Senate. He didn't learn lessons from it, other than that he could get away with it, which leaves only the last guardrail - is the election this November. 
'I think the House Democrats built a cliff, they threw themselves off of it. And halfway down, they looked up and saw me, and said, "Hey, why don't you come along?"'  
Bolton also said Trump was no match for some of America's toughest adversaries on the world stage, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un.
The former national security adviser said that Putin thinks he can play Trump 'like a fiddle.'
'I think Putin is smart, tough,' Bolton said. 'He plays a bad hand extremely well.
'And I think he sees that he's not faced with a serious adversary here [in Trump]. 
'And he works on him, and he works on him, and he works on him.' 
'President Putin prepares very comprehensively for meetings,' Bolton said. 
'He knows the people he's talking to. He thinks about what he wants to say. He thinks about the points he wants to accomplish. 
'And I think he looks at somebody like Donald Trump and says to himself - as an old KGB officer, "How am I gonna get him to the place I want him to be?"'
Bolton added: 'I think that's a level of preparation, of thoroughness, of pre-planning that just would not register with Donald Trump. 
'That's not to say Putin succeeds all the time. But he has a plan and he pursues it.
'And I can just see the smirk when he knows he's got him following his line. 
Bolton claims that during Trump's first-ever meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018, the US president was more preoccupied with the number of reporters covering the event rather than actual substantive negotiations between the two countries
Bolton claims that during Trump's first-ever meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018, the US president was more preoccupied with the number of reporters covering the event rather than actual substantive negotiations between the two countries
'It's almost transparent.'
Bolton said that Trump yielded to Putin when it came to Syria.
During their meeting in Helsinki in the summer of 2018, Putin managed to get Trump to agree to policies on Syria that were more favorable to Moscow, according to Bolton.
'[Putin] could tell what he wanted was the United States out of Syria and Trump was moving in that direction,' Bolton said.
He told ABC News that Trump was outmatched by Putin given the Russian's experience in national security matters and the US president's unwillingness to acknowledge that he didn't know enough about the subject.
'Presidents don't come to the office - no president does, knowing everything,' Bolton said. 
'So it's no wrap on anybody to say, "Well, they don't know about strategic arms limitations talks." 
'But when you're dealing with somebody like Putin, who has made his life understanding Russia's strategic position in the world - against Donald Trump, who doesn't enjoy reading about these issues or learning about them - it's a very difficult position for America to be in, notwithstanding our objective superiority over the Russians in all these areas.'
Bolton also paints an unflattering picture of Trump's dealings with North Korea.
During Trump's historic, first-ever meeting with Kim in Singapore in June 2018, the president was more preoccupied with the number of journalists who were there to cover the event rather than any substantive issues linked to the negotiations.
Bolton said he was concerned that while Trump got press attention and a photo op, the US lost ground strategically to North Korea.
'When we were in Singapore for the first summit, one of the things he said over and over again - was to ask how many press people were gonna be present for his final press conference,' Bolton said. 
'And I think the final number, it was a very large number - as it should have been, 400, 500.
'By the time we left Singapore, he was at 2,000. And I think that number went up from there. 
'That's what he was focused on. That he had had this enormous photo opportunity - first time an American president has met with the leader of North Korea.'
Bolton said he has tried to make sense of Trump's claim that Kim 'loves' the US president because of letters the North Korean leader has sent. 'I think Kim Jong-n gets a huge laugh out of this,' Bolton said. 'I mean, these letters that the president has shown to the press...are written by some functionary in the North Korean Workers Party Agitprop Office.'
Bolton said he has tried to make sense of Trump's claim that Kim 'loves' the US president because of letters the North Korean leader has sent. 'I think Kim Jong-n gets a huge laugh out of this,' Bolton said. 'I mean, these letters that the president has shown to the press...are written by some functionary in the North Korean Workers Party Agitprop Office.'
Moment Trump steps into North Korea to meet Kim Jong-un in June 2019
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Bolton added: 'And he got enormous attention from it. I thought it was a strategic mistake. 
'The US itself got nothing from that. Donald Trump got a lot. 
'The United States gave much more legitimacy to this dictator. 
'And didn't accomplish anything toward any meaningful discussion on the elimination of their nuclear weapons program.'
Bolton lamented the fact that Trump agreed to a longstanding North Korean demand - the suspension of war games and military exercises with South Korea.
He said that decision caused 'enormous heartburn at the Defense Department.'
Bolton added: 'They felt they had been left out of the decision. So had I, so had [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo, so had [then-White House Chief of Staff] John Kelly. 
'We had all been left out of that.'
Bolton added: 'This was a case where after almost two years in office, the president didn't seem to understand that the war games, as he called them, were critical to American and South Korean ability to be ready to withstand pressure from North Korea.' 
North Korea has long demanded the lifting of international sanctions, though it has resisted American demands to shut down its suspected arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. 
Bolton told ABC News: 'To be clear, I don't think North Korea is ever gonna voluntarily give up its nuclear weapons program. 
'They have tried this line for onto 30 years now. And one successive American administration after another has fallen for it.' 
Bolton also raised eyebrows over Trump's attempt to send Kim a CD of Elton John's hit song Rocket Man. Sir Elton is seen above in Australia in November 2019
Bolton also raised eyebrows over Trump's attempt to send Kim a CD of Elton John's hit song Rocket Man. Sir Elton is seen above in Australia in November 2019
Bolton was also asked about Trump's bizarre claims that Kim 'loves' him and that they have struck up a deep friendship as evidenced by letters that the Pyongyang ruler has sent to the White House.
When asked if Trump really believes that Kim loves him, Bolton said: 'I don't know any other explanation.'
He added: 'I think Kim Jong-un gets a huge laugh out of this. 
'I mean, these letters that the president has shown to the press - off the record and whatnot, but I've been in the room when he's done it - are written by some functionary in the North Korean Workers Party Agitprop Office.
'And yet, the president has looked at 'em as evidence of this deep friendship. 
'Even if it were a deep personal relationship, it doesn't change the fact Kim Jong-un is never gonna give up his nuclear weapons program. 
'And from the US national security point of view, that is the only thing that matters.' 
Bolton also raised eyebrows over Trump's attempt to send Kim a CD of Elton John's hit song Rocket Man.
In his early months in office, Trump derisively called Kim 'Rocket Man' after the North Korean leader tested missiles.
'I don't think we've heard from Kim Jong-un what he thought of Elton John's song,' Bolton said. 'That'll be an interesting tidbit in history.'
Bolton added: 'But this is the kind of focus that leads you to wonder whether there's an ability [on the part of Trump] to discern what's cosmetic here from what's truly serious.' 
Bolton alleges in his book that Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election during a 2019 meeting by making agricultural purchases, and Trump also encouraged Xi to go ahead with building camps in Xinjiang. 
Trump has denied the accusations. 
The United States since last year has placed import restrictions on some Chinese companies and visa bans on unnamed Chinese officials linked to Xinjiang but has not imposed harsher Treasury sanctions.
Trump signed legislation last Wednesday calling for sanctions over Xinjiang, drawing threats of retaliation from China. He insisted, however, he had discretion to decide any application of the measures.  
Trump acknowledged on Sunday that he held off on imposing tougher sanctions on Chinese officials blamed for a crackdown on China's Uighur Muslim minority because of concern such measures would have interfered with trade negotiations with Beijing.
'Well, we were in the middle of a major trade deal. And I made a great deal, $250 billion potentially worth of purchases,' Trump was quoted as telling Axios on Friday when asked why he had not enacted Treasury sanctions against Communist Party officials linked to repression in the Xinjiang region.
Trump has denied a claim made by Bolton that the US president sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help in getting re-elected by having Beijing purchase more American farm products in states that are key to winning in November. Trump and Xi are seen above in Beijing in 2017
Trump has denied a claim made by Bolton that the US president sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help in getting re-elected by having Beijing purchase more American farm products in states that are key to winning in November. Trump and Xi are seen above in Beijing in 2017
The United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in camps there. 
The State Department has accused China of subjecting Muslims to torture and abuse.
China has denied mistreatment and says the camps provide vocational training and help fight extremism.
US officials previously told Reuters that since late 2018 they had weighed sanctions against Chinese officials over Xinjiang but refrained because of trade and diplomatic considerations.
Under a Phase 1 trade deal negotiated in 2019 that took effect in February, China agreed to buy at least $200billion in additional US goods and services over two years. 

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