The White House is pushing back against the publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton, citing security concerns.
The National Security Council said the book had “top secret” details that must be removed, a claim Bolton rejects. A manuscript of the book reportedly claims that President Donald Trump linked freezing military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a political favour.
The book row comes as the questioning period of the impeachment trial begins. On Friday, senators will hold a key vote on whether or not to allow witnesses in the trial. Democrats are demanding Bolton testify in the wake of these claims, and some Republicans have also suggested they would like to hear from the former adviser. The president has denied all the allegations against him.
National Security Council (NSC) senior director Ellen Knight said in a letter toBolton’s attorney that following a preliminary review, the “manuscript appears to contain significant amounts of classified information”.