In the world of book publishing and much else, the adage holds that all publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right. But the reaction over the last several days from both sides of the political spectrum over former U.N. Ambassador and National Security Adviser John Bolton’s new book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,” may take that aphorism and turn it on its head.

Liberals like “The View” co-host Joy Behar and “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah criticized Bolton for waiting to speak out, saying that he betrayed the country by waiting until he could make money off his claims. If this kind of PR shellacking continues, Bolton may not make that much money at all over the book.

“There were plenty of opportunities,” Behar said Thursday, “for Bolton to speak out back in January during the impeachment trial…a lot of people, myself included, feel like he shirked his responsibilities as a public servant and American so that he could make a buck by writing this book.”

“I don’t think he’s fit for office,” former national security adviser John Bolton says of Pres. Trump. “I don’t think he has the competence to carry out the job.”@MarthaRaddatz joins us to share about her interview with Bolton airing Sunday on @ABC. https://t.co/gnnbGQq9kn pic.twitter.com/CKEbEKnHmO

— The View (@TheView) June 18, 2020

Noah blasted Bolton’s book as “bull***t” and commented Bolton could have testified during the Senate’s impeachment trial. “Who sees their country in terrible danger from an unhinged president and goes, ‘I need to warn the people! Chapter one… I was born on a bright autumn day in 1948…?’” he asked, while imitating someone typing.

NBC “Late Night” host Seth Myers addressed Bolton: “You’re like a guy who sees his neighbor’s house on fire and instead of calling 9-1-1, writes a book called, ‘Hey, that house is on fire!'”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who led the impeachment inquiry against President Trump, told “CBS This Morning” on Thursday that people should “question John Bolton’s patriotism in withholding this information during an impeachment proceeding.”

Should we take the book seriously?

"You could certainly question & I think should question John Bolton's patriotism in withholding this information during an impeachment proceeding. But that doesn't necessarily detract from the seriousness of what he alleges." — @AdamSchiff pic.twitter.com/1E6Ixa1UOf

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 18, 2020

The Trump administration did not take Bolton lying down. “I’ve known him for 10 years,” Rudy Giuliani told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.” “He says all kinds of things about me in that book. He never was man enough to come up to me and raise that with me when we were in the administration, when I was representing the president.”

On Thursday, Trump tweeted: “Bolton’s book, which is getting terrible reviews, is a compilation of lies and made up stories, all intended to make me look bad. Many of the ridiculous statements he attributes to me were never made, pure fiction. Just trying to get even for firing him like the sick puppy he is!”

Bolton’s book is an example of the old DC phenomenon of disgruntled and disgraced former officials selling their story to the mainstream media. Those stories usually blast the GOP and Republicans, so the press eagerly eats them up. The tales also usually are ghost written and not very credible. Recent words from James Mattis and the book on Trump by James Comey are the usual fare in this editorial game.

This piece was written by PoliZette Staff on June 21, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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