OTTAWA -- Former White House national security adviser and ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says the way U.S. President Donald Trump has conducted himself in the days following election day has been “disgraceful” and could end in long-term damage to American democracy and its institutions.
In an interview with Evan Solomon, host of CTV’s Question Period that airs on Sunday, Bolton said that Trump coming out making unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, questioning the integrity of the democratic process, and launching legal challenges of the electoral system have been “disgraceful.”
“Look, any candidate has the right to take available of whatever legal remedies they may have if they think the election is being corrupted in any regard. Trump, just like any candidate, has a right to do that. So far, however, all we've heard from him and his surrogates is a lot of heated political rhetoric,” Bolton said.
In September 2019 Bolton left the White House. According to Bolton he offered to resign, but Trump said that he fired him because he “disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions.”
“But the fact is it's just contrary to basic constitutional values to have the president of the United States attack the fundamental integrity of the country's election system. That's basically what Trump is doing. It's another case of Trump not being able to distinguish his personal interest from the national interest.”
In an interview on CTV News Channel on Friday, Republican strategist Chris Prudhome sought to defend Trump’s position, saying “things have happened” and there have been “irregularities,” but could not provide tangible evidence of the alleged voter fraud.
“We want to continue to fight for obviously for what we believe in and just for a fair election… and for a transparent election, that’s simply it,” Prudhome said.
As votes continue to be counted—in a race that, as of Saturday morning, The Associated Press said is too close to call— state voting officials have come out to explain their counting processes and what categories of outstanding ballots are left to be tallied.
DAMAGE YET TO BE DONE?
Bolton said that with recounts and legal challenges still ahead, he is worried about what Trump will do from the White House in the months ahead if he loses.
“He could do a lot of damage inside the government… I'm worried now that he's lost he's going to start firing people to show his dissatisfaction,” he said.
He said that while he doesn’t see Trump ultimately refusing to leave the White House come time for the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, his messaging over the last few days “demonstrates there's nobody at the White House now telling him what the truth is, and somebody from the outside is going to have to come in to tell him at some point.”
Bolton said that Biden’s path to the presidency can proceed whether or not Trump concedes.
“Trump's personal reaction really doesn't make any difference. There's no obligation for him to say anything, there's no obligation to concede, it's a matter of personal and professional courtesy. I'm not waiting around for Trump to display that,” he said.
Though, Trump could decide to not accompany Biden to his inauguration.
“It's been a long time since that happened, it's an act of remarkable discourtesy, but that's in line with Trump as well,” he said.
The former top adviser said that how his fellow Republicans deal with the situation and Trump’s intransigence will be a “character test” for the party.
“I think after the election really is finally resolved, the party needs to have an intense conversation with itself about the direction to follow, and I don't think following it down the Trump line is the way to go.”
'TRUMPISM' HERE TO STAY?
Asked whether the strong showing for Trump—even with ballots outstanding he’s increased his popular vote total from 2016—means that so-called “Trumpism” is here to stay, Bolton said no.
“There is no Trumpism. To have an ‘ism’ you have to have thought and policy and philosophy, and that's completely foreign to Donald Trump,” he said.
In his view, the longer-term risk is that the world will “misinterpret Trump's actions for actions that really represent the United States.”
“I believe very strongly Trump is an anomaly, he's an aberration. Our friends around the world and maybe even more important our adversaries around the world, should not take Donald Trump to be a predictor for how the United States will behave in the future,” he said.
