Former national security advisor John Bolton said he was concerned that President Donald Trump was granting favors for authoritarian leaders, according to a report by The New York Times.
The Times, citing an unpublished draft of Bolton's upcoming book, reported that Bolton told Attorney General William Barr that he had concerns that Trump was doing personal favors for autocratic leaders. Unnamed sources familiar with the manuscript described the book to The Times.
Barr replied to Bolton and echoed his unease, with the attorney general also saying he was also concerned about the image Trump has created by having a hand in what would normally be "independent inquiries," The Times reported. Barr reportedly expressed concern related to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Xi Jinping of China, according to Bolton's book draft.
The revelation comes amid the president's impeachment trial in the Senate, following his impeachment in the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The book also relayed the account of Trump allegedly saying he was withholding nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine in exchange for the aforementioned investigation into the Bidens, since Hunter Biden formerly sat on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The White House has denied the reports.
"I mean, obviously, the information came out with the New York Times last night, and then, a couple hours later, magically, the preorder link was live," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said on Fox Business on Monday, regarding Bolton.
"You know, the president has made clear that none of the things that are being claimed right now are true," she continued.
In response to the reports, Bolton, his literary agency Javelin, and his publisher Simon & Schuster, told The Times, "There was absolutely no coordination with The New York Times or anyone else regarding the appearance of information about his book, 'The Room Where It Happened,' at online booksellers. Any assertion to the contrary is unfounded speculation."
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
