John Bolton plans on releasing tell-all book in two weeks, even though White House hasn’t approved it yet

Reports say book claims president asked him to pressure Ukraine to provide information about Joe Biden

Former national security advisor John Bolton speaking in February ((2020 Getty Images))

The White House has still not given approval for former national security advisor in the Trump Administration, John Bolton, to release his memoir, even though the book is due to be published in two weeks.

The former advisor will release his tell-all book about his time working for the administration including controversial interactions with Ukraine on 23 June, whether the White House gives him approval or not, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Bolton worked for the Trump administration from April 2018 to September 2019, and was previously a United Nations ambassador for the US, during George W Bush’s presidency.

His upcoming book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, was scheduled to be released in March of this year, but was postponed after the National Security Council refused to give it clearance.

At the time, the book’s publishers, Simon & Schuster, pushed the release back to 12 May and said that the “new date reflects the fact that the government review of the work is ongoing”.

The release was then delayed again at the end of April, to 23 June, which is when it is claimed the memoirs will be published, even if its publication does not receive White House approval.

The White House has been battling with Mr Bolton and his publishers to change elements of the book, that reportedly includes direct conversations with the president.

Ellen Knight, a senior director of the National Security Council’s record office, wrote to Mr Bolton’s attorney earlier in the year, and said that his book “appears to contain significant amounts of classified information”.

Ms Knight wrote that the council wanted to work with him to “move forward as expeditiously as possible”, and added: “We will do our best to work with you to ensure your client’s ability to tell his story in a manner that protects US national security.”

According to the New York Times Mr Bolton claims in the book that the president asked him to pressure Ukraine into giving damaging information about presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Joe Biden and his son Hunter. This was the issue on which Democrats in the House of Representatives impeached the president, though the Senate voted not to convict him.

After this was reported, Democrats put pressure on the Senate to make Mr Bolton testify during the president’s impeachment trial, but Republicans rejected the calls.

Mr Bolton is not the only former Trump administration employee planning on releasing a book about their time working with president Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, The Daily Beast reported that while he was in prison, Mr Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, wrote a “tell-all” book about working with Mr Trump.

After the report was published, Charles Harder, a Trump organisation lawyer, warned Mr Cohen that he could be in legal trouble if he releases the book about the president.

When news broke about the book, actor Tom Arnold, who has stayed in contact with the ex lawyer, told the outlet: “It’s like Jaws — you don’t see Jaws very much, but you hear the music, and for Trump he knows Michael is coming and Trump better hear the Jaws music.”

He added: “He told me he is going to spill the beans. What has he got to lose now?”

The Independent has contacted Simon & Schuster for comment.