共和党参议员米特·罗姆尼周一告诉记者，“越来越明显”唐纳德·特朗普总统的前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿应该被传唤到参议院作证，尤其是在周日报道了他新书手稿的披露之后。
据报道，在博尔顿的书中，这位前特朗普政府官员解释了总统如何直接告诉他，他想扣留近4亿美元对乌克兰的军事援助，直到该国帮助调查民主党和拜登家族纽约时报。博尔顿的说法破坏了总统辩护的一个关键因素，因为他和他的辩护律师一再声明，被扣留的援助与他迫使乌克兰进行的调查无关。
犹他州代表罗姆尼周一上午表示:“我认为，随着昨天的报道，越来越明显的是，听取约翰博尔顿的意见非常重要。”。尽管这位共和党参议员指出，他将等到双方结束陈述他们的观点后再作出最后决定，但他暗示，他几乎肯定会与民主党一起投票听取博尔顿的意见。
1月24日，华盛顿特区，参议员米特·罗姆尼(犹他州共和党人)站在美国国会参议院会议厅附近的走廊上
“我认为说约翰·博尔顿有一个相关的证词要提供给我们这些公正审判的人是相当公平的，”他说。
缅因州共和党参议员苏珊·科林斯也认为博尔顿手稿中的新发现为传唤更多证人提供了有力的理由。
她在周一的声明中说:“我一直说我可能会投票传唤证人，就像我在1999年克林顿审判中所做的那样，华盛顿邮报报道。“关于约翰·博尔顿的书的报道加强了证人的论据，并促使我的同事们进行了多次谈话。”
法宝解散了博尔顿声称，试图将他的前国家安全顾问描绘成一名心怀不满的前工作人员，希望增加他的图书销量。
“我从未告诉约翰·博尔顿，对乌克兰的援助与对包括拜登夫妇在内的民主党人的调查有关。事实上，在他被公开解雇的时候，他从未抱怨过这一点，”他周一早上在推特上写道。"如果约翰·博尔顿这样说，那只是为了卖一本书."
总统上周告诉记者他不想博尔顿在正在进行的参议院审判中作证。
特朗普说:“约翰——他知道我的一些想法，他知道我对领导人的看法。”。他继续辩称博尔顿的证词会让他作为总统的工作“非常艰难”
2019年2月12日，华盛顿特区，约翰·博尔顿在白宫内阁会议室，聆听唐纳德·特朗普总统对记者的讲话
尽管参议院民主党人和立法院的两名独立人士预计将投票支持传唤更多证人，包括博尔顿，但他们需要至少四名共和党人加入，才能通过这项措施。在博尔顿被揭露之前，分析师认为，足够多的共和党人支持进一步作证和提供证据的机会正在减少。
但是罗姆尼一再暗示他想听博尔顿的消息。上周他重申这些观点记者。早在9月份，特朗普对乌克兰领导人施压的消息首次传出后，罗姆尼就是总统的早期批评者。
这位共和党参议员当时在推特上写道:“如果总统要求或迫使乌克兰总统直接或通过他的私人律师调查他的政治对手，那将是非常麻烦的。”。
MITT ROMNEY SAYS IT'S 'INCREASINGLY APPARENT' THAT SENATE SHOULD HEAR FROM JOHN BOLTON AFTER NEW BOOK REVELATIONS
Republican Senator Mitt Romney told reporters Monday that it was "increasingly apparent" that President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton should be called to testify before the Senate, particularly after revelations from a manuscript of his new book were reported on Sunday.
In Bolton's book, the former Trump administration official explained how the president told him directly that he wanted to withhold nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine until the country helped with investigations into the Democrats and the Biden family, according to reporting by The New York Times. Bolton's claim undermines a key element of the president's defense, as he and his defenders have repeatedly stated that the aid being withheld was not related to the investigations he'd pressured Ukraine to pursue.
"I think with the story that came out yesterday, it's increasingly apparent that it will be important to hear from John Bolton," Romney, who represents Utah, said Monday morning. Although the GOP senator noted that he was going to wait to make his final decision until after both sides had finished presenting their arguments, he suggested that he'd almost certainly vote with Democrats to hear from Bolton.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) stands in a hallway near the Senate chamber in the U.S. Capitol on January 24 in Washington, D.C.
"I think it's pretty fair to say that John Bolton has a relevant testimony to provide to those of us who are sitting in impartial justice," he said.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, also argued that the new revelations from Bolton's manuscript made a strong case for calling additional witnesses.
"I've always said that I was likely to vote to call witnesses, just as I did in the 1999 Clinton trial," she said in a Monday statement, The Washington Post reported. "The reports about John Bolton's book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues."
Trump has dismissed Bolton's claim, attempting to paint his former national security adviser as a disgruntled former staffer looking to increase his book sales.
"I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination," he tweeted early Monday morning. "If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book."
The president told reporters last week that he did not want Bolton to testify in the ongoing Senate trial.
"John—he knows some of my thoughts, he knows what I think about leaders," Trump said. He went on to argue that Bolton's testimony could make his job as president "very hard."
John Bolton listens to President Donald Trump talk to reporters during a meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House on February 12, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
While Senate Democrats and the legislative chamber's two independents are expected to vote in support of calling additional witnesses, including Bolton, they need at least four Republicans to join them in order for the measure to pass. Prior to Bolton's revelations, analysts believed that the chances of enough Republicans supporting calls for further testimony and evidence was dwindling.
But Romney had repeatedly suggested that he wanted to hear from Bolton. Last week he reiterated those sentiments to reporters. Back in September, after news was first breaking about Trump's pressure campaign against Ukrainian leaders, Romney was an early critic of the president.
"If the President asked or pressured Ukraine's president to investigate his political rival, either directly or through his personal attorney, it would be troubling in the extreme," the Republican senator wrote on Twitter at the time.
