John Bolton says he'd comply with Senate if called as impeachment trial witness

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has his answer.

In a statement issued Monday, Bolton said he's willing to testify if called as a witness in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial. It's purely hypothetical right now, but Bolton apparently wanted to get ahead of the potential debate. It sounds like he spent some time deliberating over a scenario in which he would have to choose between a congressional subpoena to testify and presidential directive to refrain from doing so. Bolton's attorney had previously said his client was awaiting guidance from the courts about whether he should testify, but he apparently reached the conclusion on his own.

"Accordingly, since my testimony is once again at issue, I have had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could, based on careful consideration and study," Bolton said. "I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify."

If Bolton is called by the Senate, The Washington Post reports, he would likely be asked about previous House inquiry testimony from State Department and national security officials who said Bolton was concerned about President Trump's efforts to push Ukraine to investigate his domestic political rivals while withholding military aid. Read Bolton's full statement here.