US judge turns down Trump's request to block Bolton's book
A US judge has rejected the Trump administration’s request for an injunction to block publication of a book by his former national security advisor John Bolton.
The White House has so far done everything it could to ban The Room Where It Happened, a book that alleges Republican President Donald Trump sought China’s help to win re-election.
The administration had sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the publication of the book, arguing that it contains classified information.
But on Saturday, US District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a ruling, saying that "while Bolton's unilateral conduct raises grave national security concerns, the government has not established that an injunction is an appropriate remedy."
The book, scheduled to be available for sale on Tuesday, is already in the hands of media organizations.
"Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States. He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability," the judge wrote.
However, he said an injunction would be too late to prevent the harm.
"With hundreds of thousands of copies around the globe —many in newsrooms — the damage is done," Lamberth said.
The judge also criticized Bolton for proceeding to publish the book without waiting for a governmental prepublication review.
Meanwhile, Trump, who fired the war hawk in September, lauded the judge's rebuke of Bolton as "a great ruling."
"The judge was very powerful in his statement on classified information and very powerful also on the fact that the country will get the money, any money he makes," Trump said on Saturday. "Whatever he makes, he's going to be giving back."
He also said in an interview with Fox News Channel that Bolton “should go to jail for many, many years,” describing his actions as "treasonous."
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