Former National Security Adviser John Bolton denied him testifying during the Senate impeachment trial would have made any difference to the outcome: President Trump’s acquittal.
On Wednesday, Bolton was questioned at an event at Vanderbilt University in Nashville by Susan Rice, former National Security Adviser, who served under the Obama administration. Rice said she couldn’t imagine how Bolton, in his position, could have withheld information from the Senate by not testifying.
“I thought a lot about if I had been in that position how would I have approached it,” Rice said. “And I’ll be honest: It’s inconceivable to me that if I had firsthand knowledge of gross abuse of presidential power that I would withhold my testimony from a constitutional accountability process.”
“In no case did I say I would reject a subpoena,” Bolton responded.
“I can’t imagine withholding my testimony with or without a subpoena,” Rice countered.
“That, to me, makes it even more difficult, as a former national security adviser, not being willing to come forward,” Rice said, according to CNN. “I would feel like I was shamefully violating the oath that I took to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Bolton, however, stayed unmoved. “People can argue about what I should have said and what I should have done,” Bolton said. “I will bet you a dollar right here and now my testimony would have made no difference to the ultimate outcome.”
“If anybody thinks to the contrary, I just don’t think you knew what was going on in Washington,” he reportedly added.
