Democracy, Populism, & Domestic Politics, Power & Security, United States Don’t Bet on John Bolton to Be an Impeachment Hero

October 27, 2019
By John Gans, Director of Communications and Research | Politico

After decades of ostracizing much of Washington with his hardline views and sharp elbows, John Bolton now finds himself more popular than ever.

Everyone wants to talk to Bolton amid the inquiry into President Donald Trump and his associates’ pressure campaign against Ukraine, a scheme Bolton, then the national security adviser, reportedly likened to a “drug deal.” On Twitter, some already have welcomed him to the “resistance”; others speculate he’ll end up one of the “heroes” of the impeachment story, a star witness. High-profile agents want to sell his book. And now, it appears Congress wants to hear from Bolton, too—his lawyers are reportedly arranging a deposition.

But no one should get too excited about what Bolton will ultimately say. If he testifies before the congressional inquiry, Bolton will bring more to the hearing room than recollections about the Trump White House. A look at his career—which has been animated by the fight for a strong presidency, especially on matters of foreign policy—suggests his testimony is unlikely to be everything the resistance wants to hear.

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