Navarro "Bolton Memoirs Threaten U.S. National Security... Could Face Imprisonment"

Trump Denies "No Knowledge" of Requesting Reelection Support from Xi Jinping Allegation

Peter Navarro, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy at the White House. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] As excerpts from the memoir of former White House National Security Council (NSC) advisor John Bolton have been released, causing daily controversies, Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, claimed that "(Bolton) could face imprisonment due to the memoir's release."

On the 21st (local time), Navarro told the U.S. media outlet CNN in an interview, "My position is that Bolton, a blatant liar, secured a publishing deal," adding, "It is very clear that he is doing this for money."

He continued, "Bolton's behavior pattern is like this: he joins the government to push his agenda, then gets fired or resigns," and "After leaving, he criticizes those who gave him the position."

He also pointed out, "During the Bush administration, he pushed the blatant lie that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, contributing to the government’s decision to wage the Iraq War, and then acted similarly afterward."

Navarro emphasized, "He did something very serious from the perspective of U.S. national security," and "That person (Bolton) must pay the price."

In Bolton’s memoir, The Room Where It Happened, it is included that during the G20 summit held in Osaka, Japan, in June last year, U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural products to support his reelection.

Regarding this, Navarro denied Bolton’s claim, saying, "I have never heard such an assertion. I was in that room."

Meanwhile, on the 20th, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia did not accept the U.S. Department of Justice’s request to ban the publication of the memoir, despite concerns over national security.

Accordingly, the book will be sold as scheduled. It is officially set to be published in the U.S. on the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.