Donald Trump said invading Venezuela would be ‘cool’ and it was ‘really part of the U.S.,’ thought Finland was in Russia and didn’t know Britain had nuclear weapons, John Bolton’s book reveals
- John Bolton’s new book contains a number of anecdotes in which President Trump is caught not knowing basic information about American foreign policy
- Bolton describes Trump not knowing that Britain, one of the U.S.’s closet allies, was a nuclear power
- The former national security adviser also said that the president once asked former Chief of Staff John Kelly if Finland was a part of Russia
- Bolton said Russian President Vladimir Putin was able to change Trump’s mind on Venezuela by equating opposition leader Juan Guaidó to Hillary Clinton
President Trump didn’t know Britain – one of America’s closest allies – was a nuclear power; thought it would be ‘cool’ to invade Venezuela, and thought Finland was in Russia, a new book says.
The book, ‘The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,’ was written by Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who left the administration in September.
Details on Trump’s ability to handle foreign affairs were revealed in the 592-page tome, which was first obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post on Wednesday.
President Trump didn’t know a number of basic things about American foreign policy and geography, according to former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book, including that Britain, one of the country’s top allies, was a nuclear power
John Bolton (right) also wrote that President Trump (left) had asked former Chief of Staff John Kelly whether Finland was a part of Russia. He also shared an anecdote about Russian President Vladimir Putin changing Trump’s mind on enezuela by equating opposition leader Juan Guaidó to Hillary Clinton
Early copies of John Bolton’s blockbuster memoir, ‘Where It Happened,’ were leaked to the media Wednesday
The book is expected to hit bookshelves Tuesday.
Bolton’s book contains numerous private conversations Trump had about other world leaders that showed his knowledge of them and foreign policy was limited.
Trump asked his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly if Finland was a part of Russia, The Washington Post notes.
And in a meeting with then-British Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018, a British official referred to the UK as a ‘nuclear power,’ and Trump interjected: ‘Oh, are you a nuclear power?’
Britain has long been a nuclear power and Bolton writes he could tell the president’s question ‘was not intended as a joke.’
Trump also said invading Venezuela would be ‘cool’ and argued that the South American nation was ‘really part of the United States.’
Bolton also reveals how Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated Trump to his point of view.
According to just some of Bolton’s revelations:
- Trump agreed to ‘back off’ criminal probes as ‘personal favors’ to dictators;
- Told Chinese President Xi Jinping should go ahead with building camps the regime was constructing for Chinese Uighurs;
- Spent part of Osaka summit ‘pleading with Xi to ensure he’d win’ reelection buy buying U.S. crops’
- Believed Finland was part of Russia;
- Said invading Venezuala was ‘cool’ and said the nation was ‘really part of the United States’
- Made it a ‘high priority’ to get Mike Pompeo to hand a copy of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ to North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un;
- Did not know Great Britain was a nuclear power; and
- Defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi to distract attention from Ivanka Trump using personal email.
He recalled a May 2019 phone call where Putin compared Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó to Hillary Clinton, Trump’s 2016 rival.
Bolton called it a ‘brilliant display of Soviet style proganda’ to shore up support for Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Putin’s claims, Bolton writes, ‘largely persuaded Trump.’
While much of Bolton’s book focuses on foreign policy, which is the aide’s forte, he more broadly characterized the president has someone who didn’t know a lot and wasn’t learning.
‘He second-guessed people’s motives, saw conspiracies behind rocks and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government,’ Bolton wrote about what he witnessed during his tenure, which was over in September 2019.
Trump, he said, led by ‘personal instinct,’ and went looking for opportunities to show off his ‘reality TV showmanship.’
The book also contains revelations about Attorney General Bill Barr, saying he tried to block prosecution of a Turkish bank, in a move sought by President Recep Erdogan.
Barr’s Justice Department filed suit in federal court in Washington, DC filed suit seeking to suppress the book, arguing that Bolton was in breach of nondisclosure agreements he signed.
As Bolton’ fired up a publicity tour for the explosive book, he spoke about Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ABC News.
‘I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle,’ Bolton said of the world leader many policy experts consider the leading U.S. adversary. ‘It’s a very difficult position for America to be in,’ he said,’ Bolton said.