Suggestions the White House is blocking John Bolton's manuscript are a "gross mischaracterization," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told Newsmax TV.
"I saw some of the media reports – it was a gross mischaracterization of that particular letter," Gidley told Wednesday's "The Chris Salcedo Show." "The NSC [National Security Council] does this in the regular course of business when people submit manuscripts, when people submit books to be reviewed, because they want to make sure that no national security secrets – top secret information, classified information – makes its away into the public sphere.
It puts American people's lives in danger, some of our assets, fighting men and women overseas in danger. So, you want to make sure these books don't have that type of information that reveals sources and methods among other things."
Gidley stressed, the White House is willing to work with Bolton's lawyers and publishers to clear his manuscript, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," sending a letter to them Jan. 23 – three days before reports of the book's claims were leaked during the Senate impeachment trial, precisely as questions about calling a witness like Bolton had been raised.
CNN published a headline Wednesday, framing the letter as a threat to a potential witness: "White House has issued formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing book."
"This letter clearly said to the ambassador, 'Listen, there are things in here we need taken out; we're not trying to stop your book," Gidley told host Chris Salcedo. "In fact, I think the last line pointed out, 'We're happy to work with you to make sure that this book is published.'
"But we want to ensure the top secret information that we have, in fact, deemed needs to come out actually comes out of the manuscript before it's published."
Gidley declined to comment on whether those who leaked the letter and book claims to the media during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump might be facing prosecution.
"The NSC was pretty clear, and pretty firm in that letter that information that was found inside this manuscript was, in fact, top secret and needed to come out," Gidley said. "Hopefully Mr. Bolton and his team will comply with that request.
"After a certain course of time, I think all things will be revealed," he added.
Gidley stressed the administration will remain vigilant to stop the leaking of classified and top secret information.
"One of the things that makes me the most upset, the most disgusted, and quite frankly the most furious, is there are so many people in this building behind me, in the federal government, that are entrusted with this and sensitive information that have long-lasting impacts for our national security," he said.
"It's very infuriating for me to know that there are people that mishandle that information either accidentally or quite frankly on purpose," he added. "It's one of those things that are egregious, and you better believe this administration is looking into ensure those types of things don't happen, and if they do, those that are caught are punished."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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