Bolton denies saying he will back Biden over Trump in November

President Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton issued a statement Sunday evening denying that he’s planning to vote for Joe Biden in November, shortly after The Telegraph reported that Bolton was intending to back Trump’s Democratic rival.

“This statement is incorrect. The Ambassador never said he planned to vote for Joe Biden,” Bolton spokeswoman Sarah Tinsley said in a statement obtained by Axios.

“He has consistently said in recent days he will be writing in the name of a conservative Republican. Let there be no doubt — he will not be voting for Trump or Biden,” Tinsley added.

The Telegraph reported earlier Sunday that Bolton, in an exclusive interview with the British newspaper as part of a media tour for the release of his new book, “The Room Where It Happened,” had said he plans to support Biden.

The former national security adviser excoriated Trump in the interview, saying, “In 2016 I voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton. Now, having seen this president up close, I cannot do this again. My concern is for the country, and he does not represent the Republican cause that I want to back.”

Bolton was ousted from the White House last year after a little more than a year on the National Security Council.

He went on in the interview to accuse the president of being unclear on the distinction between his own interests and those of the country.

“The president does not have a philosophical grounding or strategy,” Bolton told The Telegraph. “He does not know the difference between the national interest of the U.S., and the interests of Donald Trump. There is confusion over the national interest and his personal interest, which is very dangerous for the country.”

“The president behaves as though this is a small family-owned business, and the issues are just far too important for the country to be run like this,” he continued, adding, “It means there is no consistent theme or strategy. A decision made one day can easily be changed the next.”

His criticism is some of the harshest from a former top member of the Trump administration, while other ex-White House staffers such as former press secretary Sean Spicer have remained largely supportive of the president.

Bolton’s remarks come amid a dispute with the White House over the publication of his book, which the administration has contended in court documents contains classified material. Bolton has rejected this claim, calling it an attempt by the Trump administration to stifle criticism from an inside source.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the statement from John Bolton’s spokeswoman, denying the report from The Telegraph.