THE 'STACHE SPILLS'
Donald Trump’s ex-NSA John Bolton calls the president a ‘liar’ in new interview after DOJ tries to block tell-all book
DONALD Trump's ex-national security adviser has called the president a "liar" in a much-anticipated TV interview.
John Bolton’s harsh words for his former boss come amid a heated battle over the release of his "tell-all" book about his time in Trump's White House.
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“Is the President lying?” ABC News' Martha Raddatz asked Bolton in his first sit-down interview about his upcoming memoir that the Justice Department is trying to bar from publication.
Bolton replied: “Yes, he is and it’s not the first time either.”
The exclusive interview is set to air on Sunday evening, just two days prior to the scheduled release of The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
"Bolton will provide a first-hand account of crucial moments including private meetings in the Oval Office, the Putin-Trump summit in Helsinki and the president’s historic meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," ABC said in a statement.
The interview will also mark the first time that Bolton publicly presents his account of the July 25, 2019, phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Bolton will also discuss why he didn't testify during the president's impeachment trial.
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On June 16, the Justice Department filed a 27-page civil lawsuit against Bolton in a bid to block the book - one week before the scheduled June 23 release.
The administration claims that Bolton’s book would be a violation of a nondisclosure agreements he signed and would also reveal classified information that could compromise national security.
And last night , telling the Wall Street Journal: "He is a liar ... everybody in the White House hated John Bolton.”
He also called Bolton a "a washed-up guy" who broke the law" in a separate interview with Fox.
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Trump told reporters on Monday that Bolton will have a "very strong criminal problem" if he proceeds with the plan to publish.
Trump called the book "highly inappropriate" and said that he considers every conversation he had with Bolton "to be ."
Meanwhile, Attorney General Bill Barr said the Justice Department is looking to ensure Bolton makes "the necessary deletions of classified information."
Barr said: "I don’t know of any book that's been published so quickly while the officeholders are still in government, and it’s about very current events, current leaders and current discussions of current policy issues, many of which are inherently classified."
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Trump last fall after the pair had disputes over foreign policy challenges like Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan.
Bolton, a meticulous note-taker and Trump's third NSA, is expected to shed new light on the president's dealings with foreign countries as well as his impeachment.
Trump said: "If he wrote a book and if the book gets out, he's broken the law and I would think you would have criminal problems. I hope so."
He added: "If this guy is writing things about conversations or about anything — and maybe he is not telling the truth. He's been known not to tell the truth, a lot."
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Bolton, 71, is a Yale graduate, lawyer, and diplomat. Prior to serving as President Trump's third National Security Adviser, Bolton worked as President George W. Bush's ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton has long advocated for the use of American military force and an interventionist foreign policy agenda.
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