© 2026 ABC News

Trump, who had praised his former national security adviser in the months since his exit from the administration, has since taken to attacking Bolton and accusing him of lying since the revelations from Bolton's manuscript have spilled into the public.

On Twitter Wednesday, the president sought to belittle the man he formerly had tasked with leading his national security strategy as a \"guy who couldn't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago and now has written a \"nasty & untrue book\" based on \"All Classified National Security.\"

Last week, the president said it would be a \"national security problem\" to have Bolton testify in the Senate impeachment trial.

\"John, he knows some of my thoughts. He knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader, and it's not very positive, and then I have to deal on behalf of the country? It's going to be very hard,\" Trump told reporters last week during a press conference in Davos, Switzerland.

Beyond the potential of Bolton testimony, the newly revealed letter shows that the White House could, at a minimum, hold up the process of Bolton publishing his book by putting him in a holding pattern as they adjudicate portions that the White House says contain classified information.

It could also deter Bolton from speaking out publicly about his allegations, ABC News contributor and former acting Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary John Cohen said.

There’s also the possibility that the White House could seek to prosecute Bolton if he did move forward with publishing the manuscript as-is or speak out in some other public forum, Cohen added.

One prosecution possibility, Cohen said, would be to accuse him of a security violation, which could result in Bolton losing his security clearance and prevent him from obtaining a clearance in the future.

The former national security adviser could also be prosecuted criminally and face the prospect of a fine or even jail time, if he is shown to have \"intentionally and knowingly disclosed information he knew to be classified.\"

Bolton's team has publicly and forcefully denied leaking the manuscript of his book to the New York Times.

It's unlikely -- based on precedent -- that the government would seek to prosecute Bolton prior to publishing the manuscript. Mark Zaid, an attorney who regularly deals with classifications and clearing books, told ABC News that he has never seen the government prosecute anyone for having classified material in a book manuscript so long as that material is not published. However, Zaid said he advises his clients to be cautious because the Trump administration has broken with other norms before.

While the issue of classification and declassification is an issue over which the president has ultimate authority, Cohen said the Trump White House is suffering from a \"credibility problem\" in its handling of classified information. Cohen points to the July 25 call memorandum that was put on a highly classified server, even though the contents of the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy didn’t meet the standard of classification to justify its placement on that server.

Tim Morrison, the former senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council, testified that he was told the memorandum had been placed on that server by \"mistake.\"

\"Generally the rule has always been that the classification process is to protect against the disclosure of information that, if public, could harm the national security of the U.S.,\" he said. \"It has been considered inappropriate to use the classification process for political purposes or to hide embarrassing information or criminality.\"

ABC News' Martha Raddatz contributed reporting.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-warning-letter-bolton-impeachment-witness-book/story?id=68618363","legacySlug":"/news/story/white-house-warning-letter-bolton-impeachment-witness-book-68618363","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"23:44","publishDate":"01-29-2020","updatedTime":"12:25","updatedDate":"01-30-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"In this June 9, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump, with National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (L), leaves the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Quebec.","credit":"Lars Hagberg/AFP via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-bolton-gty-jt-200127_hpMain_2_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"1/29/2020 23:44:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":68618363,"headline":"White House sent warning letter to Bolton","mediaAssetTitle":"WH WARNING/BOLTON BOOK","description":"The letter, sent electronically on Jan. 23, was addressed to Bolton's attorney.","duration":"4:50","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200130_gma_bruce_0706_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133144263","132956835","132488083"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 14, 2026","headline":"Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","section":"News","slug":"/video/132956835","id":"132956835","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"White House sent warning letter to Bolton","description":"The letter, sent electronically on Jan. 23, was addressed to Bolton's attorney.","duration":"4:50","uploadDate":"01-29-2020","publication":"01-29-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200130_gma_bruce_0706_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200130_gma_bruce_0706_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/white-house-warning-letter-bolton-impeachment-witness-book-68618363"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133179167","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144373","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144059","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133143081","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133075455","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063114","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133015093","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998564","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998072","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132977374","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132977531","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132962364","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132958371","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132932494","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132927870","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"White House sent warning letter to Bolton","pubTime":"18:44","pubDate":"01-29-2020","modTime":"07:25","modDate":"01-30-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":68618363,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"White House sent warning letter to Bolton","mediaAssetTitle":"WH WARNING/BOLTON BOOK","videoId":68618363,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/white-house-warning-letter-bolton-impeachment-witness-book-68618363"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/68618363","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/68618363","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};