Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is either a "backstabber or a liar," with the claims he is reportedly making in his new memoir about an Oval Office meeting last May, during which he was told to set up a meeting between President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the newly elected president of Ukraine, Giuliani told Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
"There was no such meeting, alone, together, or with all the people that he claims were in that meeting," the former New York City mayor told "Newsmax Now" host John Bachman.
Last month, The New York Times, citing people familiar with Bolton's manuscript, reported Bolton says the meeting also included acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Giuliani, and White House counsel Pat Cipollone.
Giuliani accused Bolton of "lying in order to sell your book," and accused him of backstabbing when he said he had concerned about Giuliani's dealings in Ukraine.
"You've known me for 10 years," he said in comments aimed at Bolton. "Why didn't you come up to me like a man and tell me?"
"John is either a backstabber or a liar," he added.
He also joked, the rest of Bolton's book likely has "nothing in it," as generally, the best "stuff" in such books is leaked to get "suckers" to buy it.
"Is anybody going to believe what in the book?" Giuliani said.
Giuliani, when the Times reported about the book, commented it was "absolutely, categorically untrue" he, Cipollone, and Mulvaney were involved in meetings related to Ukraine.
The May meeting, if proven true, would be the earliest instance Trump sought to use the U.S. government for his push for Ukraine to investigate Democrats or Joe and Hunter Biden.
Bolton nor Mulvaney responded to requests for comment.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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