Jake Tapper reports that the WH 'has issued a formal threat' to John Bolton, but does this letter sound like a threat to you?

The MSM has sucked for some time now, but at least we could count on Jake Tapper to maintain some perspective and objectivity when covering the news.

Those days seem to be over. Tapper’s tweeting today about the White House’s attempt to delay publication of John Bolton’s forthcoming tell-all book:

The White House has issued a formal threat to former national security adviser John Bolton to keep him from publishing his book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

A formal threat? Wow, this sounds serious.

2/ The White House had no comment. Neither Bolton nor a spokesman for the publisher, Simon & Schuster, responded to a request for comment.
The letter comes in the midst of President Donald Trump attacking Bolton on Twitter,…

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

3/ …and Bolton's lawyer accusing the White House of corrupting the vetting process for Bolton's book by sharing the contents of the book with those outside the National Security Council's Records Management Division….

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

4/…Trump's tweets attacking Bolton Wednesday morning suggested he knew the contents of the manuscript.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

White House has issued formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing bookhttps://t.co/wQURjWChjz

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

Let’s have a look at this “formal threat,” shall we?

WH letter to Bolton warning him against publication of his book as it is right now pic.twitter.com/dsICaKQuJe

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 29, 2020

OK, so … where’s the threat, exactly?

Tapper was totally ok with using a bogus term like “formal threat” … and of course there is nothing even close to a threat, formal or otherwise, in the actual letter pic.twitter.com/jT1FIZJG35

— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) January 29, 2020

If there’s been a formal threat issued by the White House to John Bolton, it’s not in that letter.

What’s a formal threat anyway? Does it have to be signed, notarized, and sent via certified mail?

— Gavindog (@Gavindog2) January 29, 2020

I like Tapper, but this is a clear misrepresentation of the letter.

— Destructive Criticism Inc. (@RyShow85) January 29, 2020

Mr Tapper, I read the letter. Can you explain why it is a "formal threat"? What is being threatened? After reading the letter, your characterization of it feels a bit contrived. Please elaborate.

— Dad Ayup (@Dadbyup) January 29, 2020

Where’s the “formal” threat Jake? Or are you just physic?

— David Benjamin (@thetoyman1) January 29, 2020

Did you read the letter? Nothing threatening about it. Simply says there is top secret stuff in the manuscript which prevents him from publishing it until that is removed. Pretty standard but go ahead with the narrative. @johnrobertsFox has the letter in case you haven't seen it.

— Legend (@ThePlowboys) January 29, 2020

Hacks gonna hack.

— SCarolina (@RealappraiserSC) January 29, 2020