John Bolton served as national security adviser to Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019. He was previously the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and is the author of The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
The following interview was conducted by FRONTLINE’s Gabrielle Schonder on July 31, 2020 during our reporting for the “The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden†— FRONTLINE’s critically acclaimed election series featuring the interwoven, investigative biographies of both presidential candidates. It has been edited for clarity and length.
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This interview is being published as part of FRONTLINE’s Transparency Project, an effort to open up the source material behind our documentaries. Explore the transcript of this interview, and others, on the FRONTLINE website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/interview-collection/the-choice-2020/
Learn more about how these interviews were filmed during the pandemic:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/behind-the-choice-how-we-filmed-2020-presidential-election-video-interviews-in-a-pandemic
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This is why Trump diesnt like deep state. Theyre so caught in process and fear, rather than results and risk taking. Hes a bussinessman
This is the most informative interview regarding on how Trump thinks and sees things. This man’s perspective is Bardon we all make mistakes and I’m sure he would’ve admit to some mistakes but the way he speaks of it of how this takes place is amazing so we wish him well.
Turns out besides being a raging alcoholic this guy is a traitor.
No more free rides. We don't like the government giving our money away. We the people want it back. Here in the USA. Drive a 1994 dodge Dakota. Is that fair ??? I work all week too.
Well this is the perfect example of someone in government without common sense. Average Americans know now the swamp the deep state. Whatever you want to call them are wrong. Everything they did was wrong. Completely backwards. Their free ride is over. Free money ? They get paid to do nothing but make really bad decisions to fill their pockets
32:30 old man laugh
Defund now!
Bolton is the kind of guy that gets fragged by his own men at the front.
The book in the room all by myself conjuring up stories for MSNBC, PBS and CNN by pathological John Bolton.
What do you call a pathological fraud? John Bolton?
John Bolton is the most bizarre human being going on low grade news organizations trying to make himself relevant.
What do you think John Bolton you are mostly wrong and Donald Trump just won a second term in a landslide. The reason a boss keeps asking the question is they don’t think the moron employee has any idea about the subject.
No more Bolton a blabbermouth extraordinary.
Trump just won a second term in a landslide and doesn’t that make all you naysayers look foolish? In your face John Bolton you better burn that book before everyone sees what a backstabbing gold digger and guilty of removing government property out of the Oval Office.
Get a grip goober John Bolton and stop with the destructive rhetoric just to sell a book.
Get a grip goober John Bolton and stop with the destructive rhetoric just to sell a book.
Hey John Bolton today Donald J. Trump celebrates his second term election in a landslide. How does that affect your hate speech?
Hey John Bolton today Donald J. Trump celebrates his second term election in a landslide. How does that affect your hate speech?
Here is this strange looking John Bolton spewing well crafted words to make President Trump look bad. What an evil man.
A question for John Bolton – Can a Trump hater be both a warmonger and a pedophile?
Why is John Bolton allowed to use Government Information to write and sell a book and other present and former Government Employees are prosecuted?
You’re kidding Bolton wrote a book and is deceiving people to sell it. Trump should have listened to John Bolton on how to be President and stay in War.
Bolton thinks he can use Government information to write his book.
John Bolton should move to Russia
Being able to truly listen is such an under appreciated skill. You have to listen to, and trust, your advisors, especially at that level. Even if the idea is not so good, at least they will own it and take the time to make it work or turn it into a positive. Sometimes leadership is more about empowering and supporting your team, than trying to do everything yourself or making the focus about you (or your ideas) in a sermon-like fashion.