Fox News host Sean Hannity pushed for John Bolton to appear on his prime-time cable program as senators consider seeking the latter’s testimony as part of President Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial.
Mr. Hannity, a conservative commentator considered among Mr. Trump’s most vocal defenders, appealed directly to the potential impeachment witness and former Fox News colleague during his show Tuesday.
“You have something to say, John? Come here. You worked here. This is your old home. Come on the show and have your say on this show,” he said on “Hannity.”
“Your country wants to hear from you. I’d like to hear from you,” Mr. Hannity said on his show. “Stop playing games. This is not a game when it’s the presidency of the United States.”
Mr. Bolton, 71, served as a paid Fox News contributor for 11 years prior to leaving the network in 2018 to become Mr. Trump’s third national security adviser, succeeding Michael Flynn and H.R. McMaster.
Senate Democrats have said they will seek Mr. Bolton’s testimony as part of the president’s impeachment trial underway on Capitol Hill, especially in light of revelations this week about his forthcoming book.
The New York Times reported Sunday that Mr. Bolton wrote in a manuscript for the book, “The Room Where It Happened,” that Mr. Trump told him last year that he wanted to withhold military aid to Ukraine until the country’s president agreed to investigate White House hopeful Joseph R. Biden.
House Democrats voted to impeach Mr. Trump last month over his withholding of the aid, and Mr. Bolton’s potential testimony could boost efforts in the Senate to convict the president and boot him from office.
Efforts to reach Mr. Bolton for his reaction to Mr. Hannity’s request were not immediately successful.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.