John Bolton—the former national security adviser who briefly emerged as the central figure in the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump—will speak at Duke University on February 17.
Last Sunday, Bolton’s forthcoming memoir, The Room Where It Happened, appeared to upend the Republicans’ hope for a speedy show trial after The New York Times reported that Bolton wrote that Trump told him that he was withholding aid to Ukraine until that country investigated the Bidens.
That, of course, is exactly the thing for which Trump was impeached but that the president has denied.
Trump’s defense team has claimed that no one could provide firsthand evidence of the quid pro quo. But Bolton apparently could. For the better part of the last week, Democrats have challenged Senate Republicans to call Bolton to testify and hear what he had to say under oath.
That’s not going to happen. As of Friday afternoon, Mitch McConnell had secured the 51 lemmings he needs to block witness testimony—making this the first impeachment trial in history that won’t call witnesses.
The Senate was set to acquit Trump before the weekend.
Bolton, a committed neoconservative who’s never met a war he didn’t like, will “focus on current threats to national security” during his appearance at Page Auditorium, according to a Duke press release. He’ll be interviewed by Peter Feaver, director of Duke’s American Grand Strategy Program and a professor of political science and public policy.
Feaver said the event “is an excellent opportunity to hear firsthand from a significant figure in American policymaking.”
Republican senators had the same opportunity. They just didn’t take him up on it.
Bolton’s lecture begins at 5:30 p.m. It’s free and open to the public, though tickets are required and will be available beginning February 7 at the Duke Box Office or online at tickets.duke.edu. No tickets will be available at the door.
Contact staff writer Thomasi McDonald at tmcdonald@indyweek.com.
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Now that’s all over except for the shouting, Bolton is coming to Duke to chat up his book? BS! Boycott anyone?