Federal agents descended on the Maryland home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton early Friday morning in a dramatic court-authorised search for classified documents, whilst President Donald Trump distanced himself from the raid and launched a scathing attack on his former aide.
The FBI executed search warrants at both Bolton’s Bethesda residence and his Washington DC office at approximately 7am Eastern Time, with Montgomery County police sealing off the street as agents carried boxes from the properties. The raids are part of what sources describe as a “national security investigation in search of classified records” related to Bolton’s controversial 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.”
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House Historical Association Museum, claimed he learnt about the raid only from television news coverage and delivered a blistering assessment of his former national security adviser. “I saw it on television this morning. I am not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real lowlife,” the president said.
Trump Distances Himself from Raid
The president insisted he had no advance knowledge of the FBI operation, telling reporters he expects to be briefed later in the day. “I tell Pam and I tell the group, I don’t want to know about this. You have to do what you have to do. I don’t want to know about it,” Trump said, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Despite claiming ignorance, Trump suggested Bolton could face serious consequences. “He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy. We’re going to find out,” the president said, adding that whilst he could be “the chief law enforcement officer,” he preferred to maintain distance from such operations.
Trump also criticised Bolton’s foreign policy approach, claiming he “served a good purpose” initially because foreign dignitaries would “give me everything” out of fear that “they’re gonna get blown up because John Bolton was there.” However, he added, “He always wants to kill people. He’s very bad at what he does.”
FBI Director Signals No One Above the Law
FBI Director Kash Patel posted a cryptic message on X at 7:03am, minutes after the raid began, stating “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.” Attorney General Pam Bondi retweeted Patel’s message, adding “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino shared Patel’s post with his own warning: “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”
An FBI official confirmed the agency was “conducting court authorised activity in the area” but declined to provide further details, stating only that “there is no threat to public safety.”
Long-Running Classified Documents Battle
The investigation centres on Bolton’s 2020 memoir about his 17 months serving in Trump’s first administration. The Trump Justice Department had attempted to block the book’s publication, arguing it contained classified national security information covering US intelligence sources and methods, foreign policy deliberations, and conversations with foreign leaders.
A federal judge allowed publication to proceed but warned that Bolton had “likely published classified materials” and had “exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability.”
Ellen Knight, the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Records, Access, and Information Security Management, had spent four months reviewing the manuscript and concluded it contained no classified information. However, White House officials initiated a second review by a more senior official, which Bolton’s legal team argued was politically motivated to suppress damaging revelations about Trump’s conduct.
Investigation Revived Under New Administration
The Biden administration dropped both criminal and civil cases against Bolton in June 2021, with Justice Department officials stating the decision was based on the facts and likelihood of prevailing in court. However, the investigation appears to have been revived under Trump’s second administration.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, defended the raid on Fox News, stating, “I don’t think this is retribution, I think this is accountability.”
Bolton, 76, has emerged as one of Trump’s fiercest critics since leaving the administration. Earlier this month, he accused Trump of pursuing a “retribution presidency” after the president revoked his Secret Service protection despite ongoing Iranian assassination threats related to the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani.
Bolton Tweets About Ukraine During Raid
Remarkably, Bolton appeared unbothered by the FBI search, posting on X about the Russia-Ukraine conflict at 7:32am whilst agents were still at his home. Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire,” he wrote, adding that meetings would continue “because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress.
The former ambassador has repeatedly criticised Trump’s approach to foreign policy, particularly regarding Russia and Ukraine. Trump responded to such criticism earlier this month by calling Bolton a “fired loser” and “really dumb person.”
Controversial Memoir’s Explosive Claims
Bolton’s book contained numerous damaging allegations about Trump’s conduct in office, including claims that the president asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help his re-election campaign by purchasing American agricultural products. The memoir portrayed Trump as erratic, uninformed, and placing personal political interests above national security.
Bolton wrote that he was “hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that wasn’t driven by reelection calculations.” The book also supported claims that Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure investigations into Joe Biden’s son, which led to Trump’s first impeachment.
Broader Pattern of Investigations
The raid on Bolton’s properties comes as Trump’s Justice Department has unveiled investigations into multiple Trump critics, including Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Critics view these actions as evidence of Trump using government power to punish political opponents.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, with the two men disagreeing over whether he was fired or resigned. Trump claimed he dismissed Bolton, tweeting at the time, “I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration.”
Federal agents were observed loading boxes into vehicles at both locations for over an hour. A federal magistrate judge in Maryland authorised the search at Bolton’s home, whilst a separate judge in Washington approved the search of his downtown office.
Bolton has not been arrested or charged with any crime, and neither he nor his legal representatives have commented publicly on the raids. The investigation continues as federal prosecutors examine whether classified information was improperly disclosed in the controversial memoir.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
John R. Bolton at CPAC 2017 (24 Feb 2017) – by Michael Vadon, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
