Bolton's former chief of staff urges him to withdraw "tell-all" Trump administration book

Former national security adviser John Bolton at the White House in 2018. Photo: Mike Theiler/Pool/Getty Images

Former national security adviser John Bolton received scathing criticism for writing a "tell-all" book on his time in the Trump administration by Fred Fleitz, former NSA chief of staff in a Fox News op-ed Monday.

What he's saying: "Given the importance of protecting a president's confidential discussions with his senior advisers, I strongly disagree with Bolton's decision to release the book before the November presidential election and call on him to withdraw it from the publisher immediately," said Fleitz, who also served in 2018 as deputy assistant to the president.

---

"Presidents must be able to candidly consult with their advisers without worrying they will leak these discussions to the press or obtain high-dollar book contracts to publish them. A book by a former national security adviser ahead of a president's reelection bid may set a dangerous precedent since it could discourage future presidents from seeking advice from expert advisers on sensitive national security matters."

Fleitz op-ed excerpt

Driving the news: Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," which is slated for release on March 17, reportedly contains explosive claims on President Trump, including an allegation tying the holdup of aid to Ukraine to demands for investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden.

• Trump strongly denies the allegation.
• Bolton's representatives declined to comment on the Fleitz op-ed.

Go deeper:

• Bolton denies coordinating with NYT on manuscript report
• Bolton alleges in book that Trump tied Ukraine aid to investigations