President Trump didn’t know Britain – one of America’s closest allies – was a nuclear power; thought it would be ‘cool’ to invade Venezuela, and thought Finland was in Russia, a new book says.
The book, ‘The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,’ was written by Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who left the administration in September.
Details on Trump’s ability to handle foreign affairs were revealed in the 592-page tome, which was first obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post on Wednesday.
President Trump didn’t know a number of basic things about American foreign policy and geography, according to former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book, including that Britain, one of the country’s top allies, was a nuclear power
John Bolton (right) also wrote that President Trump (left) had asked former Chief of Staff John Kelly whether Finland was a part of Russia. He also shared an anecdote about Russian President Vladimir Putin changing Trump’s mind on enezuela by equating opposition leader Juan Guaidó to Hillary Clinton
Early copies of John Bolton’s blockbuster memoir, ‘Where It Happened,’ were leaked to the media Wednesday
The book is expected to hit bookshelves Tuesday.
Bolton’s book contains numerous private conversations Trump had about other world leaders that showed his knowledge of them and foreign policy was limited.
Trump asked his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly if Finland was a part of Russia, The Washington Post notes.
And in a meeting with then-British Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018, a British official referred to the UK as a ‘nuclear power,’ and Trump interjected: ‘Oh, are you a nuclear power?’
Britain has long been a nuclear power and Bolton writes he could tell the president’s question ‘was not intended as a joke.’
Trump also said invading Venezuela would be ‘cool’ and argued that the South American nation was ‘really part of the United States.’
Bolton also reveals how Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated Trump to his point of view.
According to just some of Bolton’s revelations:
- Trump agreed to ‘back off’ criminal probes as ‘personal favors’ to dictators;
- Told Chinese President Xi Jinping should go ahead with building camps the regime was constructing for Chinese Uighurs;
- Spent part of Osaka summit ‘pleading with Xi to ensure he’d win’ reelection buy buying U.S. crops’
- Believed Finland was part of Russia;
- Said invading Venezuala was ‘cool’ and said the nation was ‘really part of the United States’
- Made it a ‘high priority’ to get Mike Pompeo to hand a copy of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ to North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un;
- Did not know Great Britain was a nuclear power; and
- Defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi to distract attention from Ivanka Trump using personal email.
He recalled a May 2019 phone call where Putin compared Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó to Hillary Clinton, Trump’s 2016 rival.
Bolton called it a ‘brilliant display of Soviet style proganda’ to shore up support for Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Putin’s claims, Bolton writes, ‘largely persuaded Trump.’
While much of Bolton’s book focuses on foreign policy, which is the aide’s forte, he more broadly characterized the president has someone who didn’t know a lot and wasn’t learning.
President Trump says he fired Bolton, who claims he quit first. The Justice Department is seeking to stop publication of Bolton’s memoir
‘He second-guessed people’s motives, saw conspiracies behind rocks and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government,’ Bolton wrote about what he witnessed during his tenure, which was over in September 2019.
Trump, he said, led by ‘personal instinct,’ and went looking for opportunities to show off his ‘reality TV showmanship.’
The book also contains revelations about Attorney General Bill Barr, saying he tried to block prosecution of a Turkish bank, in a move sought by President Recep Erdogan.
Barr’s Justice Department filed suit in federal court in Washington, DC filed suit seeking to suppress the book, arguing that Bolton was in breach of nondisclosure agreements he signed.
As Bolton’ fired up a publicity tour for the explosive book, he spoke about Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ABC News.
‘I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle,’ Bolton said of the world leader many policy experts consider the leading U.S. adversary. ‘It’s a very difficult position for America to be in,’ he said,’ Bolton said.
Mike Pompeo mocked Donald Trump behind his back by slipping John Bolton a note saying ‘he is so full of s***’ – and Bill Barr said he was ‘worried’ about his conduct bombshell book claims
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked President Trump behind his back, while Attorney General Bill Barr expressed concerns, according to John Bolton
- The Washington Post and New York Times obtained copies of Bolton’s forthcoming book, ‘The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir’
- The book will be released next Tuesday and largely characterizes Trump’s staff as knowing better than the president and talking behind his back
- Bolton described Pompeo as writing a note to him amid the 2018 Singapore summit, saying of Trump, ‘He is so full of s***’
- Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, said Trump was ‘stunningly uninformed’ and was always looking for a way to show ‘reality TV showmanship’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked President Trump behind his back and Attorney General Bill Barr shared his concerns, according to the blockbuster book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
On Wednesday, both The New York Times and The Washington Post obtained copies of the tome, ‘The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,’ which the Trump administration had tried to block from bookstores with a week to go before its release, filing a Tuesday lawsuit.
The book largely characterizes Trump’s staff as knowing better than the president and talking behind his back, like the time Bolton was passed a note by Pompeo amid the June 2018 Singapore summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
‘He is so full of s***,’ the note read, Bolton wrote.
In public, Pompeo has portrayed himself as the loyal servant – as has Barr. In private, when Bolton approached Barr to discuss the president’s behavior – especially toward autocratic rulers like China’s President Xi Jinping and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – the attorney general admitted he, too, was worried.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book ‘The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,’ reveals that President Trump’s advisers are talking behind his back, expressing shock and concern
PASSING NOTES: John Bolton (left) recalled that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (second from left) slipped him a note during the June 2018 Singapore summit with the North Korea delegation that said President Trump (center left) was ‘so full of s***’
The takeaway from Bolton’s book was that Trump, despite trying to convey strength, was a shallow, paranoid and indecisive leader.
‘He second-guessed people’s motives, saw conspiracies behind rocks and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government,’ Bolton wrote.
Trump led using ‘personal instinct,’ Bolton went on, and looked for opportunities for ‘reality TV showmanship.’
Bolton, the president’s third national security adviser, pointed to the president’s diplomacy with North Korea as a prime example.
Bolton, who had worked for President Reagan and in both Bush administrations, called Trump’s first meeting with Kim in Singapore ‘an exercise in publicity.’
‘Trump told … me he was prepared to sign a substance-free communique, have his press conference to declare victory and then get out of town,’ Bolton wrote.
Behind-the-scenes, Bolton captures Pompeo being appalled.
He described a call between Trump and the president of South Korea as they prepared for the June 2018 summit.
Both Bolton and Pompeo, according to Bolton, were upset with how Trump handled the conversation.
Pompeo, Bolton described, said he was ‘having a cardia in Saudi Arabia,’ as he was listening to the call while traveling in the Middle East.
Bolton, likewise, said the call was a ‘near death experience.’
After President Trump seemed to capitulate to the leaders of China and Turkey, John Bolton wrote that he met with Attorney General Bill Barr (pictured), who told Bolton that he was worried with how the president presented himself
After the summit, Bolton claimed Trump became transfixed with getting Kim a copy of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ CD, signed by the artist.
Prior to their first meeting, Trump had called Kim ‘Little Rocket Man,’ when the North Korean leader would conduct unsanctioned nuclear experiments.
Bolton criticized Trump for not being able to grasp that Pompeo wouldn’t be meeting with Kim during every trip he made to North Korea.
After one Kim-less trip, Bolton recalled Trump asking Pompeo if he’d handed the North Korean leader the CD.
‘Pompeo had not,’ Bolton wrote. ‘Getting this CD to Kim remained a high priority for several months.’