By Julia Schwed ’21, Commentary Editor

President Trump’s former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, wants us all to know that he has a lot to say about the Ukraine scandal. But only if he gets paid for it. 

Trump’s infamous phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky took place on July 25, 2019. During the call, Trump told Zelensky that Ukraine would not receive congressionally-approved US aid unless Zelensky announced an investigation, conducted by the Ukrainian government, into Trump’s political rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Following the phone call, somebody within the White House filed a whistleblower complaint, disclosing the President’s actions. A week before the complaint was released, Bolton resigned as Trump’s National Security Advisor. The breakup between Bolton and President Trump was not a smooth one, with President Trump claiming in a tweet that he fired Bolton. 

In October 2019, the House of Representatives began an impeachment investigation, which was carried out by the Intelligence Committee. Many witnesses came forward to testify, but none with the level of firsthand knowledge that Bolton had. Bolton, on the other hand, refused to testify, and his lawyers made it clear that if the House subpoenaed him, they would fight it. The legal battle would take months, delaying the impeachment process. During the House hearings, many other witnesses had the courage to come forward and testify in response to subpoenas, believing it was their duty as Americans to share their knowledge with Congress. For example, Deputy Assistant Fiona Hill, who worked for Bolton on the National Security Council, testified that Bolton referred to Trump’s Ukraine plan as a “drug deal” and made it clear that he wanted no part of it. Bolton, however, remained quiet. His silence allowed Republicans to attack the impeachment inquiry by claiming there was no testimony from anyone who spoke directly to Trump regarding his intentions in Ukraine. 

On December 18, 2019 the House voted to impeach President Trump. Following the impeachment, the Senate began its preparations for the trial. At this point, Bolton appeared to change his position and indicated that, if subpoenaed, he would testify at the Senate trial. The Senate, however, voted along party lines not to have any witnesses. Trump was acquitted. Before the acquittal, it was leaked that Bolton had written a book that includes a description of what happened before, during and after Trump’s phone call with Zelensky. This highlighted that he had extremely pertinent information that was being withheld from Congress and the public.

On Monday, February 17, 2020, Bolton began a publicity tour for his book (rumored to be titled The Room Where it Happened) with a stop at Duke University. When asked if he thought Trump’s phone call with Zelensky was “perfect,” as Trump claimed, Bolton replied “you will love chapter 14.” This response highlighted how wrong Bolton’s refusal to testify in the House was. While Bolton was focused on maximizing his book sales, his former subordinates testified at great personal costs. Bolton’s conduct is particularly offensive when contrasted to the bravery of Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, who testified at the House hearing that he was concerned that the President’s behavior was improper and could “undermine US national security.” Following Trump’s acquittal, Colonel Vindman was removed from his post and escorted out of the White House. Vindman is a true patriot: he is a Purple Heart recipient and was brave enough to tell the truth in front of the country. Unlike Bolton, he did not withhold the information he knew in order to later use it as a selling point for a book.

Any citizen, government official or not, should have the moral compass to put our country first, especially when all that is needed is the simple act of providing information so that elected officials have enough evidence to make an informed decision regarding the national security of our country. History will look back at government officials like Bolton with contempt and note their lack of patriotism at such a crucial moment in this country. Bolton, who is at the end of a long career, will likely be defined by his failure to testify before the House during the impeachment inquiry. I hope his paycheck was worth it.