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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump's Rallies Confirm Bolton's China Story
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/bolton-book-trump-china-election.htmlTrumps Rallies Confirm Boltons China Story
Bolton says Trump sought a trade deal to use in the election. In public, Trump all but admitted it.
By William Saletan
June 18, 20206:36 PM
John Bolton, President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, has just added a new chapter to the stockpile of evidence that Trump betrayed the United States. In his forthcoming book, The Room Where It Happened, Bolton reports that last year, Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him get reelected. Bolton was a direct witness to these overtures. His story matches Trumps solicitation of Russian assistance in the 2016 election and Trumps extortion of Ukraine to get campaign help against former Vice President Joe Biden in 2020. But theres one more very good reason to believe Boltons allegation: Trump, in front of thousands of people, has essentially confirmed it.
In a Wall Street Journal excerpt from his book, Bolton describes a December 2018 dinner between Trump and Xi. In that conversation, he recalls, Trump offered to reduce U.S. tariffs on China in exchange for increases in Chinese farm-product purchases, to help with the crucial farm-state vote. Then, in June 2019, according to Bolton, Trump told Xi that a trade deal with China would be a big plus for him politically. In a third discussion, later that month, Trump turned the conversation to the coming U.S. presidential election, alluding to Chinas economic capability and pleading with Xi to ensure hed win. Bolton recalls that in this meeting, Trump stressed the importance of farmers and increased Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat in the electoral outcome. Bolton adds: I would print Trumps exact words, but the governments prepublication review process has decided otherwise.
Trump claims that Bolton made up these stories. But the presidents own words, delivered at reelection rallies before and after he signed the trade deal with China on Jan. 15, validate Boltons account. On Nov. 6 in Louisiana, Trump bragged about collecting billions of dollars in tariffs from China and warned voters that if Democrats were to gain power, they would lose that revenue stream. On Dec. 18 in Michigan, he said he was funneling money from China through the U.S. treasury to take good care of our farmers. On Jan. 9 in Ohio, he boasted that he was about to sign a big, beautiful monster$40 to $50 billion to our farmers from China. He scoffed that Democrats could never have scored such a deal.
The president made clear that to get Chinas money, he was willing to sacrifice human rights. China and the United States were making the largest trade deal in history, Trump told Fox and Friends on Nov. 22. We have to stand with Hong Kong, but Im also standing with President Xi. Hes a friend of mine. On Jan. 10, when Laura Ingraham asked Trump about the human rights issue in Chinaa million people in reeducation camps, internment campshe replied, Well, Im riding a fine line, because were making great trade deals. Trump accused President Ronald Reagan of leaving money on the table: He didnt trade with the Soviet Union at all. Trump told Ingraham, We have a great relationship with China right now, so I dont want to speak badly of anyone.
snip//
Trumps public boasts confirm Boltons account. The president put his own political interests ahead of U.S. national interests, Bolton writes, not just on trade questions but across the whole field of national security. Virtually every decision, according to Bolton, was driven by re-election calculations. Trumps behavior with Russia and Ukraine substantiates that indictment. So does his collusion with China.
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Trump's Rallies Confirm Bolton's China Story (Original Post)
babylonsister
Jun 2020
OP
PJMcK
(22,037 posts)1. Trump is his own worst enemy
He always gives away the plot.
It's because he's an idiot.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)2. and it doesn't matter...that's the ass kicker..