We discuss the latest political news, including the FBI search of former Trump adviser John Bolton’s home and whether President Trump will send National Guard troops to more cities.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
There’s been no summer slowdown in Washington, D.C. President Trump’s takeover of the Capitol city’s police is about to enter its third week, and now the president is threatening to send National Guard troops to other cities. It comes as the FBI searched the home of President Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton. Joining us to discuss all this is NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Good morning.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Good morning.
RASCOE: So let’s start with John Bolton. How do you view this development?
KEITH: Yeah. So he was a first-term national security adviser and has since become a vocal Trump critic – something that Trump complained about recently on social media. And one of Trump’s first acts as president was to withdraw Secret Service protection from Bolton. That was protection he had because Iran wants him dead. So that’s the context in which this search of Bolton’s home took place.
Two sources familiar with the investigation who weren’t authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the search of Bolton’s home and office was tied to his handling of classified documents. During an interview on Friday for NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Vice President JD Vance was specifically asked if Bolton was being targeted because he’s a critic of President Trump. And Vance insisted he wasn’t.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, “MEET THE PRESS”)
JD VANCE: If we bring a case – and, of course, we haven’t done that yet. The Department of Justice has not done that yet. We are investigating Ambassador Bolton. But if they ultimately bring a case, it will be because they determine that he has broken the law.
KEITH: And I will note, he says we. In any other administration, you wouldn’t hear the White House talking about a potential Justice Department criminal case as we because there’s supposed to be a separation, but that just doesn’t exist in the Trump administration. Vance brought up the Justice Department prosecutions of Trump and his allies during the Biden administration. The view in MAGA world is that opened Pandora’s box, and now all bets are off.
RASCOE: Tam, if you would, can you just give us a little more context? Is this just about John Bolton?
KEITH: Not even close. Senator Adam Schiff, who led Trump’s first impeachment, is being investigated for alleged mortgage fraud. So is Letitia James, the prosecutor in New York who secured a fraud conviction against Trump when he was out of office. Other outspoken critics of Trump are openly expressing concern that they could be next.
During the campaign, President Trump told supporters, I am your retribution, and many people sounded alarms. So Trump said, no, no, no, no, don’t worry. All he meant was that success would be retribution. It is now clear that, in fact, retribution is retribution.
RASCOE: I mean, here in D.C., I mean, you do see some National Guard troops patrolling the streets, but now President Trump is talking about sending troops to Chicago. That’s drawn a strong response.
KEITH: Yeah. On Friday in the Oval Office, President Trump suggested that Chicago and New York may be next. Those are both blue cities in blue states. The Washington Post is exclusively reporting that the Pentagon has been drawing up planning documents to deploy troops to Chicago to crack down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, as you know, wrote on social media, quote, “Donald Trump’s threat to bring” in “the National Guard to Chicago isn’t about safety. It’s a test of the limits of his power and a trial run for a police state. Illinois has long worked with federal law enforcement to tackle crime, but we won’t let a dictator impose his will.” Earlier this year, Trump sent troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor and the mayor, and the question of whether he was allowed to do that is still being litigated.
RASCOE: And I gather there was a surprise on Friday during an event about next year’s soccer World Cup draw. President Trump held a photo that someone had sent him.
KEITH: Yes, that’s right. And that someone was Russian President Vladimir Putin. Take a listen to how it all unfolded.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He’s been very respectful of me and of our country but not so respectful of others. But he’ll – I’m going to sign this for him. But I was sent one, and I thought you’d all like to see it. That’s a man named Vladimir Putin.
KEITH: Which is remarkable – there was the president of the United States in the Oval Office proudly holding up a picture of himself with a Russian dictator, with a portrait of Ronald Reagan looming over his shoulder. This, despite no signs of progress in Trump’s quest to secure peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Trump said on Friday that sanctions could be back on the table and that he’d know more in two weeks.
RASCOE: That’s NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Thank you for joining us.
KEITH: You’re welcome.
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