Everyone itching to get their hands on John Bolton’s memoir will have to wait until May.
The lengthy White House review process of the former national security adviser’s book has bumped the publication date of The Room Where It Happened to May. The book was set for release later this month on March 17, but the White House must first comb through the memoir to ensure that no confidential details are published.
Bolton has already accused the White House of “censorship” because of sections the executive branch wants to be cut. President Trump has argued that Bolton was a “traitor” and reportedly said he wanted to block the book altogether, while the White House noted that it contains information that has been deemed top-secret.
Portions of the manuscript have already leaked to the press, including information about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian leaders that became the foundation for the House impeachment process. Bolton wrote that Trump said Ukraine’s military aid was being put on hold until the country announced an investigation into Joe Biden and his son and Hunter.
Trump accused Bolton of coordinating the leaks from his book to drop just before the Senate voted to acquit him on both articles of impeachment in hopes of swaying some Republican votes. The former national security adviser denied that he coordinated the leaks and blamed the White House’s National Security Council’s “corrupted” review process.
Bolton’s book has already earned a place on Amazon’s 100 bestsellers list, which likely means a significant number of preorders were placed. He departed the White House in September after more than a year as national security adviser.
