What John Bolton Knows

<p>A firsthand account by John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, directly linked President Trump to a quid pro quo in the Ukraine affair, undercutting a central plank of the defense’s argument. What could that mean for the final phase of the impeachment trial? Guests: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/maggie-haberman?smid=pc-thedaily" target="_blank">Maggie Haberman</a>, who covers the White House and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-s-schmidt?smid=pc-thedaily" target="_blank">Michael S. Schmidt</a>, who covers national security and federal investigations for The New York Times.</p><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>A Times investigation revealed that Mr. Bolton privately expressed concern to the attorney general last year that the president was<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/politics/john-bolton-trump-book-barr.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank"> effectively granting personal favors</a> to autocratic leaders around the world.</li><li>Republican senators had been ready to swiftly acquit President Trump. But Mr. Bolton’s revelations in the manuscript of his new book<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/politics/john-bolton-impeachment-witness.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank"> could change the calculus.</a></li></ul>