Bolton, Trump's ex-national security adviser, calls for him to withdraw from the race

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Republican responses to former President Trump's indictment fall several ways. Trump is denouncing it and saying he's innocent, although photographs show many cartons of documents in his home. The indictment says many contained sensitive military secrets. Several Republican presidential candidates are attacking the federal Justice Department, even though they want to replace Trump as the party leader. Some candidates say the indictment is serious, as do some former members of the Trump administration. Former Attorney General William Barr told Fox the indictment is strong. And we have reached John Bolton, the president's one-time national security adviser. Ambassador, welcome back.

JOHN BOLTON: Glad to be with you.

INSKEEP: You've handled a lot of classified documents in your time. What do you see in this indictment?

BOLTON: I see big trouble for Donald Trump. I think this is a potentially catastrophic turn of events for him. It certainly should be. Because if proven in trial - and, of course, that is the government's burden - but if proven at trial, it should put Trump in jail for a long time. You know, there's a - thousands - tens of thousands of people in the federal government who have security classifications. And when they deviate even the slightest amount and it's found out, they face severe penalties. If they're service members, they're discharged from the service. We have to hold everybody accountable equally, and that does not exclude the president. So I think this is a real issue that's going to have profound impact on our national security if we don't take it seriously.

INSKEEP: We should emphasize we've seen the photographs, and the former president himself has not denied having the documents. So the question really, if any, is whether he, as a former president, had a right to them. Of the various arguments that Trump has advanced, can you imagine any that would work in which a former president has some special latitude here?

BOLTON: Well, if Trump had followed standard procedures, if anybody could have trusted him with the documents, if he wanted to write a book about his time as president, there were procedures that could have been set up. He disregarded all of those, which is how the National Archives eventually took this case to the Justice Department. But it's the obstruction, it's the refusal to give back the documents when they were demanded by subpoena and through extensive discussions about what was required. That's what tips this over the edge beyond any doubt. And I think anybody who tries to say that somehow this isn't serious, this is a storage issue are probably people who have never handled a classified document in their lives, don't understand what's at stake here.

And it really is a national security issue. And Trump has displayed utter disdain for these constraints. He did so - I saw it over and over again when he was president. The conduct that's alleged by the indictment is entirely believable to me. Again, the government has to prove it, and I hope they do it soon. I think one real issue here is how quickly this goes to trial. You know, Donald Trump says he's completely innocent. Well, if he's completely innocent, he should want this stain on his reputation removed as soon as possible. An innocent person would say, I want a trial in a couple of months. Let's see what Donald Trump does.

INSKEEP: And, of course, if it goes beyond a couple of months, we're in the presidential primary season. Why - given what you've said, ambassador, why do you think that Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's rivals for the nomination, is attacking the Justice Department over this indictment?

BOLTON: Well, I think it's a mistake. I think, actually, DeSantis, the other day, made a very important point, which was when he was in the Navy Judge Advocate Generals Corps handling classified information - if he had done a portion of what Trump is alleged to have done, he would have been court martialed. That's the standard to make. And I think for Republicans - look, take it for granted that there's a double standard. Take it for granted. Democrats don't prosecute Democrats. Believe all that, that Hillary should have been prosecuted, Joe Biden should be prosecuted, and they weren't. And that's an injustice.

Accept that for the sake of argument, and then ask these candidates the question, does that mean you give Donald Trump a free pass? Is your answer to the double standard problem to have no standard at all? You know, Republicans used to believe that if you didn't prosecute criminals, you'd have more crime. And I think that insight was right then and it's right now. The way you correct the double standard is to take the politics out of the decision making. And if you do that, Donald Trump should be at trial as soon as possible.

INSKEEP: Can the Republican Party be the party of law and order if its leader is a person who's under indictment?

BOLTON: Well, that's one reason why he should withdraw from the race right now. That's not what he's going to do. He will try and delay this trial past the election, hoping that he'll win and can then pardon himself. But a really innocent man would insist on trial at the earliest possible date.

INSKEEP: Ambassador John Bolton, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.

BOLTON: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.