Nadler Says Congress Not Interested In Having John Bolton Testify Under Oath About Claims In New Book

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler told CNN Sunday morning that despite explosive claims about President Trump in the new book by fired national security adviser John Bolton, House Democrats have no pans to call Bolton to testify under oath about his allegations.

"We're not interested in Bolton's testimony," Nadler said.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN: I want to turn to the latest from former National Security Adviser John Bolton coming out in his book that I think comes out on Tuesday.

Bolton accused Democrats, House Democrats, of committing -- quote -- "impeachment malpractice" by not broadening your impeachment investigation beyond the Ukraine controversy to include other episodes he describes as potential high crimes and misdemeanors involving the president with China, involving the president with Turkey.

What do you make of that charge?

REP. JERRY NADLER: Well, the fact is, the president could've been impeached on other grounds, too, such as obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation. We chose to try to keep it simple.

But -- and Bolton, who has, as we now know, evidence that he could have offered and refused to offer, is certainly no one to talk.

TAPPER: Well, he did offer to testify before the Senate. But, as you know, the Senate voted not to hear any additional evidence, every Republican voting against...

(CROSSTALK)

NADLER: Well, he refused to testify before the House.

TAPPER: Right.

NADLER: He refused to testify before the House.

And the Senate, of course, was never going to call him, because the Senate Republicans were not interested in any evidence. As I said, they were corrupt in that respect.

TAPPER: Yes, every -- I should just note, every Republican voted against new evidence, except for Susan Collins and Mitt Romney.

NADLER: That's right.

TAPPER: Are you planning on calling Bolton to testify about this new information he has?

He suggests in his book that President Trump...

NADLER: I'm sorry. Am I planning to what?

TAPPER: To call John Bolton to testify?

NADLER: I'm sorry. Am I planning to what?

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: And Bolton -- are you planning on calling John Bolton to testify before your committee?

NADLER: Oh. No, we're not interested in Bolton's testimony.

TAPPER: Bolton says in his book that President Trump promised him he would stop the investigation into the Turkish bank that the Southern District of New York was doing at the time, which you brought up as a potential reason why Geoff Berman might've been fired.

It sounds as though Bolton has evidence to back that up. But you don't want to hear him because, what, because you're upset that he didn't voluntarily testify during impeachment?

NADLER: Well, we may. We may. But we will see about that.

TAPPER: I mean, do you think that any of these new revelations from Bolton are impeachable, or is the door closed on impeachment for 2020?

NADLER: Well, I think -- I think the president has done a lot of impeachable things, including what Bolton is talking about.

But we have an election coming up. We know the Republicans in the Senate will not entertain an impeachment in any event. So that would be -- that would, at this point, be a waste of time and effort.