Former Trump adviser John Bolton (Image: Flikr/Gage Skidmore)

Democrats who once derided John Bolton are now pinning their impeachment hopes on the testimony of the war-crazed former Trump adviser, after Bolton’s unpublished memoir, leaked to the New York Times, alleged a deal with Ukraine.

The manuscript, according to the Times, alleges that Trump withheld $391 million in Ukraine aid until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats (including the Bidens). Trump has denied the claims in typical fashion and Bolton has not confirmed the allegations.

But as Democrats pressure moderate Republicans to bring Bolton to the stand, it could be worth remembering exactly who we’re dealing with here. 

Here are some of Crikey‘s favourite Bolton gems:

On Iran: Bolton has repeatedly called for the bombing of Iran. In a New York Times column in 2015, he said: “The inconvenient truth is that only military action … can accomplish what is required. Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed”. 

On North Korea: In 2002 when asked in an interview what the Bush administration’s views were on North Korea, Bolton held up a book titled The End of North Korea and said that was their policy. In 2018 he penned a column for The Wall Street Journal titled “The Legal Case for Striking North Korea First”.

On the UN: Bolton has long regarded the United Nations as incompetent and corrupt. In a speech in 1994 he declared there was “no such thing as the United Nations”. “The Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If it lost 10 stories, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.” 

On the ICC: In 2018 he called the International Criminal Court, which investigates war crimes and crimes against humanity, “illegitimate” and vowed the US would do everything “to protect our citizens”.