Early-morning search rocks Bolton residence
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the Maryland home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton, a move that has sent shockwaves through Washington’s political and national security circles. The FBI has not disclosed what it was looking for, but the search signals renewed scrutiny of one of the most outspoken Republican critics of President Donald Trump.
Bolton, who served as U.N. ambassador under George W. Bush and later as national security adviser to Trump for 17 months, confirmed the raid but offered no details. Local police stood guard outside his Montgomery County residence as federal agents combed through the property.
A history of bitter breaks with Trump
Bolton’s relationship with Trump ended badly in 2019. Trump claimed he fired Bolton; Bolton insists he resigned over sharp disagreements on foreign policy. Since then, Bolton has emerged as a fierce critic of the former president, accusing him of putting personal political interests ahead of U.S. national security — allegations laid out in his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
That memoir sparked a high-profile clash with the Trump administration. The Justice Department tried, unsuccessfully, to block its release, arguing Bolton bypassed prepublication review and risked exposing classified information. When that failed, the administration sued to recover Bolton’s profits, a case that later collapsed.
Old investigations, new questions
Bolton’s legal battles seemed to end in 2021 when the Biden Justice Department dropped its civil case against him and closed a related criminal probe. At the time, federal prosecutors said they lacked evidence to prove Bolton disclosed classified information.
A former DOJ official familiar with the decision told NBC News politics played no role. “Attorney General Merrick Garland investigated Democrats and Republicans, including President Joe Biden,” the official said, noting the department has prosecuted Biden’s son Hunter on unrelated charges.
The fresh raid raises questions about whether new evidence has surfaced or whether Bolton is again under investigation for how he handled sensitive information during his government service.
Allies cry retribution; critics call it accountability
Some of Bolton’s associates claim the raid is politically motivated payback for his scathing critiques of Trump and his administration. “It’s retribution, pure and simple,” a source close to Bolton said.
But House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., urged caution. “I don’t think this is retribution; I think this is accountability,” Comer told Fox News. “If there’s no basis for it, then the FBI will deserve criticism. But for now, I believe they had ample evidence to move forward.”
Trump himself told reporters in Washington, D.C., that he was unaware of the raid until after it happened and would be briefed soon.
Bolton’s recent role as trump critic
Bolton has remained a consistent thorn in Trump’s side, blasting his foreign policy decisions and questioning recent moves, such as Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this year, just days into Trump’s second term, the administration abruptly cancelled Bolton’s Secret Service protection — even though he had previously been targeted in an alleged murder-for-hire plot linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In 2022, Bolton even floated the idea of running for president to block Trump’s return to the White House, underscoring just how deep the rift between the two men runs.
What happens next
The FBI has not confirmed what evidence it collected or what charges, if any, Bolton could face. Legal experts say the search warrant would have required sign-off from senior Justice Department officials, indicating investigators believe they have strong grounds to proceed.
For now, Washington is left speculating: is this about old disputes over Bolton’s memoir, new classified material allegations, or something entirely different? Until federal authorities break their silence, the only certainty is that the already fraught relationship between Bolton, Trump, and the Justice Department has just taken another dramatic turn.
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