John Bolton reveals why Trump 'lies a lot' as he fact-checks his Mar-a-Lago press meet

John Bolton said that Donald Trump exists in a personal bubble where the distinction between truth and lies has become irrelevant to him
UPDATED AUG 9, 2024
John Bolton claimed that Donald Trump has become detached from the reality (CNN/Getty Images)
John Bolton claimed that Donald Trump has become detached from the reality (CNN/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former national security advisor John Bolton delivered a scathing critique of his ex-boss, former President Donald Trump, asserting that he has become so detached from reality that he can no longer differentiate between facts and falsehoods.

According to Bolton, Trump exists in a personal bubble where the distinction between truth and lies has become irrelevant to him.

John Bolton suggests Trump’s press conference reflects preparations for 2024 election loss

John Bolton’s remarks were in response to Donald Trump's hour-long press conference on Thursday, broadcast from Mar-a-Lago.

During the event, Trump vehemently criticized Democrats and the media and even challenged Vice President Kamala Harris to three debates.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 14: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the start of a round
Donald Trump challenged VP Kamala Harris to three debates during a Mar-a-Lago press conference (Getty Images)

Bolton suggested that Trump is already preparing justifications for a potential loss in the 2024 election.

Kaitlan Collins highlights discrepancies in Trump’s claims about Hillary Clinton

CNN host Kaitlan Collins questioned Bolton about Trump’s claims from the press conference, specifically regarding Trump’s alleged past protection of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Trump had remarked, “I was very protective of her. Nobody would understand that, but I was I think my people understand it. They used to say, ‘Lock her up, lock her up,’ but I’d say just, ‘Relax, please.'”

Former President Donald Trump listens as his attorney Todd Blanche speaks during a press conference at 40 Wall Street after a pre-trial hearing on March 25, 2024 in New York City. Judge Juan Merchan scheduled Trump's criminal trial to begin on April 15, which would make it the first criminal prosecution of a former American president. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 election. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins questioned Donald Trump’s contradictory claims about protecting Hillary Clinton(Michael M Santiago/Getty Images)

To highlight the disparity between Trump’s current claims and his past statements, Collins played clips from the 2016 election where Trump called Clinton “guilty as hell” and advocated for her incarceration.

John Bolton criticizes Donald Trump’s confusion between truth and falsehood

In one clip, Donald Trump said, “Folks honestly, she’s guilty as hell,” and in another, he stated, “I think she should be in jail. She should be locked up.”

John Bolton responded to these clips by emphasizing that Trump’s inability to distinguish truth from falsehood goes beyond just frequent lying.



 

Bolton argued, “Trump can’t tell the difference between what’s true and what’s false. It’s not that he lies a lot because to lie, you have to do it consciously."

"He just can’t tell the difference. So he makes up what he wants to say at any given time. If it happens to comport with what everybody else sees, well, that’s fine," he continued.

"And if it doesn’t comport with anybody else, he doesn’t really care and he’s had decades of getting away with it. So in his mind, the truth is whatever he wants it to be. And that’s what you heard today,” Bolton added.

MORE STORIES

Gavin Newsom rejected the bipartisan bill, calling it too costly and warning it could disrupt how California determines firefighter pay
19 hours ago
The vote comes as California’s education agencies face a US Department of Justice lawsuit over alleged Title IX violations in girls’ sports
19 hours ago
Donald Trump took aim at Sen Richard Blumenthal after his tense face-off with Attorney General Pam Bondi during a congressional hearing
21 hours ago
Dick Durbin pressed Pam Bondi to justify sending troops to Illinois, accusing the Justice Department of hiding key information from the public
1 day ago
The comedian dubbed Chuck Schumer 'Hack-ie Mason', and then went on a rant against Democratic leadership in general
1 day ago
Trump promised America’s men and women in uniform that their pay is safe despite the government shutdown
2 days ago
The stipend is part of measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce illegal immigrants in US
4 days ago
The directive followed Donald Trump’s August 2025 executive order instructing law enforcement and military to immediately arrest flag burners
4 days ago
Sen Roger Marshall introduced the Passport Sanity Act to end gender-neutral passports citing security and Trump-era precedent
6 days ago
JB Pritzker went after Trump after he suggested alleged crime-ridden cities like Chicago could serve as a training ground for National Guard troops
7 days ago