Asked if Bolton - Trump's former national security adviser - should testify at Trump's impeachment trial, Kelly said he supports calling witnesses.

President Donald Trump is denying that he told former National Security Adviser John Bolton that he wanted to withhold military aid from Ukraine until the country launched investigations into Joe Biden and his son, allegations that Bolton levies in his new book, according to a New York Times report.

But one of Trump's former top aides told a Sarasota audience Monday evening that if the reporting on what Bolton wrote is accurate, he believes Bolton.

"If John Bolton says that in the book, I believe John Bolton," said retired Gen. John Kelly, who served as Trump's chief of staff for 18 months.

Kelly spoke Monday at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall as part of the Ringling College Library Association Town Hall lecture series. The general worked with Bolton during his time as chief of staff, which ended in early 2019. Kelly said Bolton is an honest person.

"Every single time I was with him ... he always gave the president the unvarnished truth," Kelly said of Bolton, who has become a figure of intense interest in the impeachment inquiry.

According to the New York Times, Bolton writes in a book yet to be released that Trump personally told him he did not want to release nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine until the country investigated Democrats, including the former vice president and his son.

The House impeached Trump last year, alleging that the president abused his power by leveraging the military aid to try to benefit himself politically.

Trump denies ever tying the aid to the investigations.

Sarasota FL Herald Tribune, January 28, 2020

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January 29, 2020

Voices4America Post Script. 75% of Americans including John Kelly want #witnesses. Keep calling: Toomey, Portman, Romney, Collins, Murkowski, Alexander. (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you want. #RemoveTrumpNow

Swalwell gives you their direct line too.