Bolton slams New Yorker sourcing in profile describing work with Trump

National security adviser John Bolton blasted a story published in The New Yorker on Monday, which he claimed cited an “embittered” former aide who had accused Bolton of considering President Trump to be a “moron.”

In a tweet Tuesday morning, Bolton accused the magazine of not seeking comment from him on the remarks from his former aide, Mark Groombridge, who told The New Yorker that Bolton was hoping to influence and “modify” Trump’s foreign policy any way that he could.

{mosads}”A recent article quoted an embittered former employee whom I haven’t seen or spoken to in several years. He has no knowledge of my thinking,” Bolton tweeted Tuesday.

“His remarks are contrary to my views, and completely off the mark. The reporter never asked for comment,” he added.

A recent article quoted an embittered former employee whom I haven’t seen or spoken to in several years. He has no knowledge of my thinking. His remarks are contrary to my views, and completely off the mark. The reporter never asked for comment.

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) April 30, 2019

Groombridge told The New Yorker in an interview that “deep in his heart” Bolton allegedly “believes the President is a moron.”

“He’s very brief, and the President appreciates that,” Groombridge told the magazine. “John is thinking, To the extent I can modify or mollify the President’s actions, I will. He is truly a patriot. But I wonder how he goes into work every day, because deep in his heart he believes the President is a moron.”

Bolton was interviewed for the story and quotes from him appear throughout the piece, but there’s no indication that Bolton was given a chance to respond to the comments from his former aide.

The national security adviser has battled the media in recent days over reports that the U.S. was issued a bill for the treatment and release of Otto Warmbier, a U.S. student who died shortly after his release from North Korean captivity. Bolton has acknowledged that a U.S. envoy signed an agreement for the bill, but denied that payment ever took place.