Bolton: It's 'silly' for Trump to demand extradition of Russian intelligence officers

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill



BY BRETT SAMUELS - 07/15/18 09:26 AM EDT

National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday it's "pretty silly" for President Trump to demand Russia extradite the 12 intelligence officials charged with conspiring to hack into U.S. systems during the 2016 elections.

Bolton indicated on ABC's "This Week" that Trump is unlikely to seriously broach the subject when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki, Finland, because Moscow would be unlikely to agree to it.

"It’s pretty silly for the president to demand something that he can’t get legally. And this is a very serious matter," Bolton said.

"The Russians take the position, you can like it or not like it, that their constitution forbids them to extradite Russian citizens," he continued. "They have an agreement with the Europeans that looks a lot like an extradition treaty. Europeans, frequently, tried to use that to get the Russians to extradite their nationals and they flat out refused to do it."

Link to tweet

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/397076-bolton-its-silly-for-trump-to-demand-extradition-of-russian

[marble falls]

1. Couldn't be sillier than the goofy mustache of his.

[C_U_L8R]

2. It's the law, *ssh*le

Defend the Constitution or get out of the way

[dalton99a]

3. Not long ago:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/10/vladimir-putin-looked-trump-eye-lied-negotiate-russia-peril/
Vladimir Putin looked Trump in the eye and lied to him. We negotiate with Russia at our peril
John Bolton Former US ambassador to the UN
10 July 2017 • 6:00am

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. They all fall in line, don't they?

They're all following the Pied Piper of Shartcannon. The problem is that the Pied Piper is leading them off a cliff. They either don't know or they don't care. "Following" is the means AND the end.

[Sophia4]

5. The Russians are accused of having infringed on our national sovereignty.

Trump should at least ask.

It looks really bad for Russia if it refuses to help us enforce the laws that protect our national sovereignty.

John Bolton should know better. He probably does, but he is helpless in dealing with Donald Trump.

[Honeycombe8]

6. Strengthens his hand for what?

Just what has Trump said he wants Russia to do for the U.S. interests? Anything? Trump does, however, want a big hotel in Moscow.

[oberliner]

7. He would be saying the opposite if a Democrat was president

Or even a different Republican that he wasn't working for.

[NCjack]

8. Bolton is too stupid to be on the world stage. Trump should press

him hard to send the intelligence officers to USA, or there will be bad consequences. Putin knows what the inference is. He knows that he can't send his officers, but he can offer something of value in substitute.

That's how it would work if Trump really wanted the officers. But, I think he doesn't because they may incriminate him.

[amcgrath]

9. Are there two John Boltons?

Or is this the same one who constantly demands the US bomb or invade other countries illegally ?

Asking for an extradition doesn't seem too extreme.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. That whole interview was unreal. Bolton and others close to Trump keep downplaying

Trump's upcoming meeting and his inexcusable actions of the past week. I can't believe that Republicans are still covering for Trump and can look at themselves in the mirror. They put their political interests above the security of our country.

[SWBTATTReg]

13. I agree w/ you, traitors, all of them! I'm surprised that w/ all of the ...

repugs leaving that no one is thinking of sticking it to rump (a last fling at rump)...perhaps as elections get closer and closer?

[Paladin]

11. Bolton figures that any such demands would be unintelligible.

Given that trump will have Putin's dick in his mouth, the whole time......

[forgotmylogin]

12. Watch out, Bolton.

Telling Trump his powers are limited is like waving a red cape in his face.

[Nitram]

14. It's silly that Bolton has a role of any kind in our foreign policy apparatus.