The National Security Council sent a letter to former national security adviser John Bolton warning they could block his book unless he deletes secret items that could undermined national security. Bolton’s lawyer Charles Cooper said there was no information in the book that could reasonably be considered classified. The NSC said it would work with Bolton to cut the manuscript. (USA TODAY, January 30, 2020, by David Jackson)
As the letter was sent, President Donald Trump attacked Bolton on Twitter, after which Cooper accused the White House of sharing the contents of the book with those outside the NSC thereby corrupting the review process. (CNN, January 20, 2020, by Jake Tapper)