North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows cut right through the machinations of the bipartisan Swamp Class Monday, throwing shade on John Bolton’s unverified claim in an unpublished manuscript that President Trump wanted to withhold Ukraine’s military aid for some reason, possibly due to Ukraine’s well-documented interference in the 2016 election against Trump. Republicans continue to rally behind the president, except for Utah senator Mitt Romney, who is crafting mainstream media headlines with his pro-Bolton advocacy.

“I have evidence that they leaked when it was over in the House. My hypothesis is that this is part of a coordinated leak in order to change the narrative,” Meadows stated in a hallway press conference, referring to Democrats. Meadows’ adult comprehension of political gamesmanship is a stark contrast to many clueless Republicans, and explains why Meadows is a routine White House visitor to talk strategy with President Trump. Vacating his House seat this year, Meadows is expected to become either White House chief of staff or Secretary of State.

“This leak was designed for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to try to manipulate the thinking of my Republican colleagues in the Senate to encourage them to open it up and provide for more witnesses,” Meadows said.

“The facts are clear, the facts have been clear. And so I’m not in favor of calling additional witnesses…The facts remain, as they always have been, in support of the President, that he got no political advantage. No investigation. Nothing was delivered.”

Meadows pointed to numerous firsthand witnesses who absolve the president of wrongdoing, “including the actual president of Ukraine.’

“Regardless of what Ambassador Bolton says, that doesn’t change,” Meadows said.

“There’s been 12 witnesses’ testimony presented here in the Senate. There’s been 17 in the House.”

Meadows scoffed at the idea that Bolton is some kind of “super-witness” due to “an alleged conversation that he didn’t repeat.”