Fox News Host Says Trump Impeachment Trial Was on 'Fast Track' to Ending Without Witnesses Before Bolton Book Leak

Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade said Monday that the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump was on a "fast track" to ending before the leak of John Bolton's manuscript.

An unpublished book manuscript from former national security adviser John Bolton was reported on by The New York Times Sunday night, prompting a scrambled Trump legal defense and the uncovering of new, potentially damning evidence. The Fox News morning crew co-hosts offered scathing criticism of the "timing" of the leak and said it wasn't coincidence given that the Senate trial would have been wrapped up almost immediately without the report. Bolton's legal team has denied distributing copies to any and all people and instead submitted it to through the proper vetting system.

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade said no witnesses would have been called and the process would have promptly moved past that without this development.

"[The Bolton legal team] said they did it through the process and the process is corrupt," Kilmeade said Monday. "So if John Bolton's lawyers are telling the truth here, and they just submitted it in, it's leaked out, if that is indeed the case, it's more evidence that people within the administration are actually against the administration."

"The other thing is, this is devastating timing because this thing was on the fast track to closing out without witnesses on Friday," Kilmeade continued. "Only Mitt Romney pretty much saying 'I want to see witnesses,' everybody else saying I've heard enough. And now, this gives fuel to the Senator Schumers of the world, the Adam Schiffs of the world who say 'I need a witness and he wants to testify.'"

Only a few Republican senators, including Utah's Romney, Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, have expressed interest in hearing from new witnesses during the trial. Bolton himself has previously said publicly that he would testify before Congress. Romney said Monday it's "increasingly likely" the Bolton leak would prompt other GOP senators to request to hear from witnesses. And Collins told the Times that the Bolton leak "strengthens the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues."

Four Republican senators are needed to side with Democrats in order for the trial to hear from new witnesses.

"When you say devastating timing - it has got to be a coincidence, right?" fellow Fox News co-host Steve Doocy said sarcastically. "That it would come out just hours before the Senate impeachment is going to start at one o'clock.