President Donald Trump&#8217;s former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to one of 18 counts against him pertaining to his handling of classified documents.
The plea agreement could help Bolton, who has since become a vocal critic of the commander-in-chief, avoid prison time, according to the Associated Press. His sentencing is scheduled for October 28.
The ex-federal official faces up to 60 months behind bars, according to NBC News. He has also agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine while forfeiting his pension.
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The plea agreement, however, recommends a prison sentence that doesn&#8217;t exceed five years.
Bolton is accused of retaining information that was &#8220;classified at the highest classification levels,&#8221; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes said during a press conference following Friday&#8217;s hearing.
The document at the center of his guilty plea &#8220;revealed intelligence about an adversary&#8217;s plans for an attack conducted against U.S. forces&#8221; serving overseas, &#8220;human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods,&#8221; and &#8220;a covert action program,&#8221; Hayes said. In total, Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of information related to his role as national security adviser.
&#8220;As national security adviser to the president of the United States, Mr. Bolton had access to and was responsible for safeguarding the most sensitive national defense information, including classified material. Mr. Bolton knew how to handle classified information, where it should be stored, how it should be stored, and with whom he could share that information,&#8221; Hayes said.
&#8220;He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information. Nevertheless, as Mr. Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law,&#8221; she added.
Some of the classified information was contained in diary entries that Bolton shared with relatives while authoring a memoir, according to the AP. The indictment centered on notes Bolton shared with his wife and daughter.
In sending one message containing classified information, Bolton wrote to his family members, “None of which we talk about!!!,” according to the AP, which cited prosecutors&#8217; allegations. A relative then responded, “Shhhhh.&#8221;
The federal government began investigating Bolton before Trump&#8217;s return to the White House. The FBI searched Bolton&#8217;s home in Maryland in August 2025.

John Bolton Expected To Plead Guilty In Classified Documents Case

John Bolton Pleads Guilty In Classified Documents Case

Donald Trump

John Bolton

National Security

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally retaining sensitive national security information, dramatically narrowing a case that originally included 18 criminal charges.
According to multiple reports, Bolton is expected to formally enter the guilty plea during a June 26 hearing in federal court in Maryland. As part of the agreement, he has also agreed to pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the agreement when contacted by The Daily Wire, referring inquiries to the court docket.
The plea deal significantly reduces Bolton&#8217;s legal exposure. Federal prosecutors originally <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">charged</a> the former Trump administration official in October 2025 with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining that information.
Under the agreement, Bolton will plead guilty to just one count of illegal retention of national security information. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, though reports indicate he could ultimately receive anything from probation to a prison sentence.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">According to sources familiar</a> with the matter, the conduct underlying the plea centers on  diary-style entries Bolton maintained during his time as national security adviser. The information was allegedly contained in electronic diary entries that he shared with family members.
Importantly, the plea does not involve allegations that Bolton provided classified documents to foreign governments or publicly released classified materials. &#8220;There’s no allegation that he took home any classified documents, or that he leaked any documents or that he shared any documents with foreign adversaries,&#8221; one source familiar with the case told NBC News.
Reports also indicate Bolton is not pleading guilty to the transmission-related charges that were included in the original indictment. The agreement comes after prosecutors alleged Bolton improperly retained sensitive information from his time in the Trump administration and shared more than 1,000 pages of information through a personal email account with unauthorized recipients, widely reported to be family members.
Federal investigators later examined Bolton&#8217;s handling of the information after his personal email account was reportedly compromised by Iranian-linked hackers.
Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump&#8217;s national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019, had previously pleaded not guilty and repeatedly defended his conduct.
A source close to Bolton told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">NBC News</a> that the former national security adviser agreed to the plea in part to avoid a trial that could require additional classified information to be disclosed in court. &#8220;This was a very difficult decision for him,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;Most importantly, he is doing what leaders do and taking responsibility.&#8221;
Following the June 26 hearing, a federal judge will have up to 90 days to determine Bolton&#8217;s sentence.

Inside John Bolton’s Plea Deal: Former Trump Adviser Admits Guilt Over Classified Secrets

John Bolton Will Plead Guilty To Retaining National Security Secrets

Court

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Hacked

justice department

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trial

Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton reached a plea agreement that includes possible prison time for his handling of classified information, according to multiple reports. 
Bolton is set to plead guilty to a single felony count for retaining classified information in a private diary, the Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bolton-justice-department-trump-classified-information-3a92a8f87521cee9a7627db53a75e9c1?taid=6a2191226ddeab0001697866&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter"> reported</a> Thursday.
Under the agreement reached with federal prosecutors, the former Trump ally turned fierce critic <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/04/bolton-guilty-plea-trump-national-security-advisor.html">faces up to 60 months in jail</a> and a $2.25 million fine. 
The agreement marks a striking reversal for Bolton, who previously denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. He had accused the federal government of political prosecution. 
“For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump administration but resigned when it became impossible to do so,” Bolton previously said.
“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he added.
Trump has previously denied directing the Justice Department officials to investigate Bolton or his political enemies.
“You don’t have to instruct them because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have … go after them automatically,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/60Minutes/status/1985146947200569584?s=20">told</a> &#8220;60 Minutes.&#8221;
In August 2025, the FBI raided Bolton&#8217;s Maryland home and office in Washington, D.C., as part of a national security investigation, The Daily Wire reported at the time. Bureau agents seized multiple documents bearing some level of classified marking. 
“NO ONE is above the law…<a href="https://x.com/FBI"> @FBI</a> agents on mission,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X as the raid began. 
In October 2025, a federal grand jury returned an 18-count <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875.1.0_3.pdf">indictment</a> against Bolton for retention and transmission of national defense information, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-bolton-indicted-after-classified-documents-probe-report?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=John+Bolton+Indicted+After+Classified+Documents+Probe">reported</a>. 
According to the indictment, Bolton used a personal email account to send classified information to unauthorized recipients, including diary-like entries. The messages, which included phrases such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-bolton-comey-james-were-so-dirty-doj-had-no-choice-but-to-prosecute?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Bolton%2C+Comey%2C+James+%E2%80%98Were+So+Dirty%E2%80%99+DOJ+Had+No+Choice+But+To+Prosecute">“More stuff coming!!!” and “None of which we talk about!!!</a>, was also hacked by Iran. He reportedly shared highly classified information with his wife and daughter
Bolton is due back in federal court on June 26.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.

President Trump Holds A Cabinet Meeting At The White House

John Bolton To Plead Guilty, Faces Potential Prison Sentence Under Deal

News

President Donald Trump denied that recent prosecutions against some of his most vocal critics amount to “political retribution,” saying the accused “were so dirty, they were so crooked&#8221; that prosecution was necessary.
Trump sat for an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-full-transcript-norah-odonnell-60-minutes-interview-with-president-trump/">interview</a> with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” his first interview with the program in five years. CBS correspondent Norah O&#8217;Donnell asked the president about recent Justice Department cases brought against his former national security adviser John Bolton, former FBI chief James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Asked if the prosecutions amount to retribution, Trump reminded O’Donnell that he was indicted first.
“You know who got indicted? The man you&#8217;re looking at. I got indicted, and I was innocent. And here I am, because I was able to beat all of the nonsense that was thrown at me,” Trump responded.
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“These people are scum. And yet, when you go after a dirty cop like Comey or a guy like Bolton, who I hear has, I don’t know anything about it, I hear he took records all over the place,” Trump continued. “Letitia James is a terrible, dishonest person, in my opinion. Terrible. I just won the case against her. She wanted me to pay $500 million for something I didn’t do anything wrong on. And the judge just overturned the decision.”
Comey was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law">indicted</a> in September on charges of ​​giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges against Comey stem from testimony he delivered to Congress in 2020 on his handling of the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Bolton was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-bolton-indicted-after-classified-documents-probe-report">indicted</a> last month. The former national security adviser was charged on 18 counts of retention and transmission of national defense information. According to the indictment, Bolton shared classified information over his personal email, which was later hacked by Iran.
James was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-indicted-following-doj-probe-into-2023-sweetheart-home-loan">charged</a> last month over a loan she received in 2023 for a mortgage on a house in Virginia. James allegedly claimed the Virginia home as her primary residence when, as New York’s attorney general, she was required to live in the state of New York. The home instead was occupied by a relative of James.
All three defendants have denied the charges against them.
Trump denied that he instructed Justice Department officials to investigate or charge any of the defendants.
“You don&#8217;t have to instruct them because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have … go after them automatically,” said Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think I&#8217;ve been very mild-mannered. You&#8217;re looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap,” says President Trump after the recent indictments of high-profile figures who have publicly denounced him. <a href="https://t.co/XHoIr77Eh1">https://t.co/XHoIr77Eh1</a> <a href="https://t.co/tLH0fxW2wI">pic.twitter.com/tLH0fxW2wI</a>
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1985146947200569584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote>

Trump Says Bolton, Comey, James ‘Were So Dirty’ DOJ Had No Choice But To Prosecute

James Comey

Letitia James

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton surrendered to authorities on Friday morning for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the 18 federal charges he faces related to his handling of classified documents.
Bolton made his first court appearance in Greenbelt, Maryland, before Judge Timothy Sullivan. After pleading not guilty, Bolton is set to be released and is not required to post bail. He is due back in court on November 21, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/john-bolton-indictment-10-17-25?t=1760714486711">reported</a>. Bolton is allowed to travel domestically, but he will be required to hand over his passport and travel documents to his lawyer. If he wants to travel internationally, he will have to seek approval from the court.
While Judge Sullivan oversaw Bolton&#8217;s federal arraignment on Friday, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang — an Obama appointee — has been assigned the case going forward, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/john-bolton-indictment-10-17-25?t=1760714486711'">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
John Bolton surrenders himself in federal court.
What a great day for America. <a href="https://t.co/jDtztl7wT6">pic.twitter.com/jDtztl7wT6</a>
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/_johnnymaga/status/1979171206239592839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bolton, who advised President Donald Trump during his first term, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-bolton-indicted-after-classified-documents-probe-report?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=John+Bolton+Indicted+After+Classified+Documents+Probe%3A+Report">indicted</a> by a grand jury on Thursday and is accused of sending classified information to unauthorized recipients through his personal email, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/john-bolton-indicted-criminal-charges-classified-documents-00612387">violating</a> provisions in the Espionage Act. In August, the FBI raided the former national security adviser&#8217;s home in Maryland, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-records-reveal-what-was-taken-from-john-boltons-home-during-fbi-raid?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Court+Records+Reveal+What+Was+Taken+From+John+Bolton%E2%80%99s+Home+During+FBI+Raid">taking</a> troves of documents, three computers, and two iPhones amid the Justice Department&#8217;s investigation into his handling of classified material.
President Trump <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1978923040785256497">said</a> on Thursday that he was not aware that Bolton had been indicted, but added, &#8220;I think he&#8217;s a bad person.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s too bad, but that&#8217;s the way it goes,&#8221; Trump told reporters.
In a statement on Thursday, Bolton said that he was being targeted in a political prosecution.
“For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump administration but resigned when it became impossible to do so,” said Bolton.
“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he added.
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In 2023, Trump was also charged with crimes related to his handling of classified documents after leaving office. That case was dismissed a year later after Trump-nominated District Court Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution.
Bolton is accused of sending &#8220;diary-like entries&#8221; to two people &#8220;that contained information classified&#8221; as &#8220;TOP SECRET.&#8221; The two people to whom Bolton allegedly sent the classified information were his wife and daughter, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/john-bolton-indictment-10-16-25">reported</a>.
&#8220;BOLTON wrote many of these diary-like entries by transcribing his handwritten notes from his day&#8217;s activities into word processing documents, which he then electronically sent to Individuals 1 and 2 through a commercial non-governmental messaging application,&#8221; the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875.1.0_3.pdf">indictment</a> reads.
&#8220;On other occasions, BOLTON used his personal non-governmental email accounts, such as email accounts hosted by AOL and Google, to email information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level to Individuals 1 and/or 2 at their personal email accounts,&#8221; the indictment adds. &#8220;At no point did BOLTON have authorization to store or transmit the classified information that he sent to Individuals 1 and 2 via his personal electronic devices and accounts. Nor did, at any time, Individuals 1 or 2 have authorization to know or store the classified information that BOLTON gave to them.&#8221;
The investigation into Bolton&#8217;s handling of classified documents gained momentum under the Biden administration and continued after President Trump took office for a second time in January, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/16/us/trump-shutdown-news#:~:text=SKIP%20ADVERTISEMENT-,Former%20Trump%20Aide%20John%20Bolton%20Is%20Indicted%20Over%20Handling%20of,2025%2C%207:41%20a.m.%20ET">reported</a>.
After serving under Trump from 2018 to 2019, Bolton became a harsh critic of the president and authored a book on his experience less than a year after Trump said he fired Bolton as National Security Adviser. Trump said that he terminated Bolton, but Bolton has insisted that he resigned from his position.
The book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,” was promoted as “the most comprehensive and substantial account of the Trump Administration.” The Trump administration argued that Bolton’s book endangered national security. After a back-and-forth, Bolton removed classified information from his book manuscript before he published it, according to court records.

Bolton Turns Himself In, Pleads Not Guilty In Espionage Case Over Classified Documents

classified documents

Courts

Politics

Trump Administration

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to his handling of classified information.
The <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875/gov.uscourts.mdd.592875.1.0_3.pdf">indictment</a> covers 18 counts of retention and transmission of national defense information. According to the indictment, Bolton shared classified information over his personal email that later hacked by Iran, and he sent classified information to unauthorized recipients with messages such as &#8220;More stuff coming!!!&#8221; and &#8220;None of which we talk about!!!&#8221;
Bolton has been charged related to the documents probe. He allegedly shared highly classified information with his wife and daughter, according to CNN. The former Trump adviser has previously denied mishandling classified information. He is expected to surrender himself to federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, as soon as Friday.
Bolton was under investigation for his handling of classified materials and subjected to FBI raids on his home in Maryland and office in Washington, D.C. Bureau agents seized multiple documents bearing some level of classified marking.
In a statement, Bolton <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/john-bolton-indictment-10-16-25?post-id=cmgtzrco2004n3b6n64eia5v9">said</a> he is the victim of a political prosecution.
“For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump Administration but resigned when it became impossible to do so,” said Bolton in a statement.
“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he said.
Bolton is the third high-profile Trump critic to face charges in recent weeks. New York Attorney General Letitia James was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-indicted-following-doj-probe-into-2023-sweetheart-home-loan">indicted</a> last week on fraud charges over a house in Virginia she allegedly claimed as her primary residence on mortgage documents in 2023. At the time, she was serving as New York’s attorney general, a position which requires the official to live in New York.
Since being indicted, James has been outspoken in public that she believes she is a victim of a political prosecution. Critics have pointed to the civil case she brought against President Donald Trump and the nearly half-billion-dollar penalty against him that resulted as a political prosecution that undermines her claims of victimhood.
Former FBI Director James Comey was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law">indicted</a> in late September on charges of giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. Comey has pleaded not guilty.
“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement at the time. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people.”

John Bolton Indicted After Classified Documents Probe

Crime

Department of Justice

Executive

U.S.

The FBI took a trove of documents, three computers, and two iPhones from former National Security Adviser John Bolton&#8217;s home during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-raids-home-of-former-trump-national-security-adviser-john-bolton?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=FBI+Raids+Home+Of+Former+Trump+National+Security+Adviser+John+Bolton">raid</a> on August 22, according to court records made public on Thursday.
Among the boxes of documents were “typed documents in folders labeled ‘Trump I – IV&#8217;” and a white binder that was labeled, “statements and reflections to allied strikes,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/04/us-news/heres-what-fbi-agents-took-from-john-boltons-house-in-raid-and-what-charges-he-could-face/">reported</a>. The FBI raided Bolton&#8217;s home as part of an investigation over allegations that Bolton illegally snuck out national security files from the White House during President Donald Trump&#8217;s first term.
The records also revealed that the former national security adviser, who is now a vocal Trump critic, is being investigated for allegedly violating two sections of the Espionage Act of 1917, according to the Post. While Bolton hasn&#8217;t been charged with any crime, if the feds go after him on those two charges, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Federal agents also swiped hard drives and USB drives during the raid, and agents were allowed to make Bolton unlock any devices, per the search warrant, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/04/politics/bolton-search-fbi-court-documents">reported</a>. According to previous court records, the feds are looking into whether Bolton revealed any sensitive national security information about Trump&#8217;s foreign policy during the president&#8217;s first term. After a back-and-forth with Trump officials, Bolton removed classified information from his book manuscript before he published it, according to court records.
Bolton&#8217;s book, &#8220;The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,&#8221; promises &#8220;the most comprehensive and substantial account of the Trump Administration.&#8221; The book was published in June 2020, less than a year after Trump fired Bolton as National Security Adviser. The Trump administration argued that Bolton&#8217;s book endangered national security.
FBI officials told the Post that an investigation into Bolton&#8217;s handling of sensitive material was paused when former President Joe Biden entered office in 2021, and FBI Director Kash Patel reopened the investigation in February.
“The [Biden administration] had probable cause to know that he had taken material that was detrimental to the national security of the United States, and they made no effort to retrieve it,” a senior FBI official said.
“That was a friendly administration to [Bolton],” the official added. “They kept bashing [Trump] the entire time for ‘weaponizing law enforcement,’ and they — by politically stopping a righteous investigation — are the ones who weaponized law enforcement.”
Bolton has not commented on the raid, but he has continued to criticize Trump&#8217;s foreign policy moves. Following the raid, President Trump claimed that he knew &#8220;nothing about it.&#8221;
“I saw it on television this morning. I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real … lowlife,” Trump said. “He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy … we’re going to find out. I know nothing about it.&#8221;

FBI Search House Of Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton

Court Records Reveal What Was Taken From John Bolton’s Home During FBI Raid

Democrats and media personalities scrambled to white knight for former National Security Adviser John Bolton when news broke that the FBI had raided his home and office, but they may soon regret doing so as more information has begun to surface about the investigation.
Democrats and media were quick to defend Bolton, who served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump&#8217;s first term before falling out of favor, claiming that the raid was proof positive that Trump was using the Justice Department to exact revenge on his political enemies. But according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/us/politics/bolton-trump-emails-fbi-investigation.html">report</a> published by The New York Times on Wednesday, the investigation into Bolton actually picked up steam while former President Joe Biden was in office due to information — uncovered by U.S. intelligence — about Bolton&#8217;s handling of classified information.
Even The New York Times raised the question of whether Trump was using the raids to punish detractors — but also pointed out that Bolton may be in some serious trouble.
<blockquote>The United States gathered data from an adversarial country’s spy service, including emails with sensitive information that Mr. Bolton, while still working in the first Trump administration, appeared to have sent to people close to him on an unclassified system.
&#8230;
While those searches have raised fresh questions about the extent to which Mr. Trump may be using the Justice Department and F.B.I. to try to punish those he dislikes, the new details of the case present a more complex chain of events. The disclosures suggest that a long-running investigation into Mr. Bolton’s activities changed over time, with some of the issues echoing past inquiries into the handling of national security secrets.</blockquote>
According to the report, the investigation began just prior to the publication of Bolton&#8217;s book — &#8220;The Room Where It Happened&#8221; — when the first Trump administration attempted to stop its publication. The book went to print anyway, and the investigation effectively stalled until the intelligence community uncovered the emails.
The investigation has thus far revealed that Bolton had emailed several people who were assisting him in compiling the information he would later use to write his book — and had included information he appeared to have obtained from classified documents to which he had access while serving in the Trump administration.
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As The New York Times reported, the raids were conducted in an effort to determine whether Bolton had in his possession records of the same information that was uncovered by the intelligence community. Two federal judges signed off on the warrants.
Just after the raid, however, Democrats and a number of media figures rushed to Bolton&#8217;s defense. ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl framed a Sunday morning segment on the raid as though it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-frames-bolton-raid-as-trumps-latest-act-of-retribution">absolute proof</a> that Trump&#8217;s Justice Department was being weaponized against anyone he did not like.
The New York Times report appears to be a fair indication that they may have jumped to Bolton&#8217;s defense too quickly, as is the fact Bolton has hired high-powered defense attorney Abbe Lowell — whose past and present clients include Hunter Biden and New York Attorney General Letitia James — to represent him.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton Press Conference In Kiev

Democrats, Media May Soon Regret White-Knighting For John Bolton Over FBI Raid

Democrats

Media

ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl conceded that he did not know what evidence the FBI might have had prior to executing a raid on the home and office of John Bolton, who had previously served as President Donald Trump&#8217;s National Security Adviser — but then proceeded to paint the law enforcement action as an act of &#8220;retribution&#8221; on Trump&#8217;s part.
&#8220;We don’t know what evidence the DOJ has against John Bolton. But we do know that he is the latest Trump critic to be targeted by his administration,&#8221; Karl said of Friday&#8217;s events.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We don’t know what evidence the DOJ has against John Bolton. But we do know that he is the latest Trump critic to be targeted by his administration.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports on President Trump&#8217;s promised &#8220;retribution&#8221; against political enemies. <a href="https://t.co/x5qomsiCQa">https://t.co/x5qomsiCQa</a> <a href="https://t.co/JWICYLBK0i">pic.twitter.com/JWICYLBK0i</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1959627849846947864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In a minute, we&#8217;ll get to the stunning developments coming into the weekend with FBI agents swarming around the home and office of former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, but first the context,&#8221; Karl said. &#8220;This didn&#8217;t happen in a vacuum.&#8221;
&#8220;John Bolton is on a long list of Trump critics who are not facing the wrath of President Trump and his Justice Department,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Trump himself has suggested that dozens of his enemies, real and perceived, belong in prison.&#8221;
Karl went on to list a number of people Trump has said should go to prison — many of whom were named in recent documents pertaining to the Russian collusion hoax — such as former President Barack Obama and former FBI Director James Comey.
He also mentioned Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY), both of whom are already being investigated by DOJ attorney Ed Martin, and claimed that those investigations were also retaliatory efforts on behalf of President Trump.
Karl then complained that an outsized percentage of the high-ranking military officers who had been fired under the Trump administration had been women — a move that he said left the military without even one female active duty four-star general — but made no effort to explain why that was necessarily a bad thing.
&#8220;President Trump promised retribution against his political enemies,&#8221; Karl declared. &#8220;And there is no doubt that he is serious about keeping that promise.&#8221;
Karl then pivoted to the raid on Bolton&#8217;s home — which, according to the Justice Department, was part of an investigation into Bolton&#8217;s handling of classified information — and repeatedly suggested that it was simply more evidence that Trump was attacking and punishing his political enemies.

Former White House Nat’l Security Adviser John Bolton Speaks At Duke University Forum

ABC Frames Bolton Raid As Trump’s Latest Act Of ‘Retribution’

ABC Frames Bolton Raid As Trump's Latest Act Of 'Retribution'

ABC News

Jonathan Karl

The FBI raided the Maryland home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday morning as part of a national security investigation involving classified information. 
The New York Post, which first <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/22/us-news/patels-fbi-raids-john-boltons-home-in-high-profile-national-security-probe/">reported</a> the raid, said that it was conducted as part of a “high-profile national security probe.” FBI agents began the search around 7:00 am at Bolton’s Bethesda home, the Post reported. 
“NO ONE is above the law…<a href="https://x.com/FBI"> @FBI</a> agents on mission,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X as the raid began. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NO ONE is above the law… <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> agents on mission
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1958847495028584529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Commenting on FBI Director Kash Patel&#8217;s social media post shortly after the news broke that said &#8220;NO ONE is above the law,&#8221; FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said &#8220;Public corruption will not be tolerated,&#8221; and Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote, &#8220;America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.&#8221;
Fox News reported that FBI agents were also seen removing boxes out of Bolton&#8217;s office in Washington, D.C.
When asked about the raid, the FBI told NBC News that it was &#8220;conducting court authorized activity in the area. There is no threat to public safety.&#8221;
The Post also reported that an official said that a previous investigation into Bolton had been quashed “for political reasons.” 
President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he did not know about the raid until he saw the news.
&#8220;I saw it on television this morning. I&#8217;m not a fan of John Bolton. He&#8217;s a real&#8230;lowlife,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;He&#8217;s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy&#8230;we&#8217;re going find out. I know nothing about it.&#8221;
Bolton served in the first Trump administration from April 2018 until September 2019. After Bolton left the White House, he became a frequent critic of Trump. Bolton was previously the ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. 
In 2020, he published a book called “The Room Where it Happened” that the Trump administration argued endangered national security. Trump’s Justice Department sued to block its publication and distribution, but that lawsuit was ultimately dismissed after Joe Biden became president in 2021. 
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The book was cited as one of the reasons for the Trump administration to yank Bolton’s security clearance earlier this year. 
“The book was rife with sensitive information drawn from his time in government,” the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/holding-former-government-officials-accountablefor-election-interference-and-improper-disclosure-of-sensitive-governmental-information/">said</a>. “The memoir’s reckless treatment of sensitive information undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid advice on matters of national security from their staff.  Publication also created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed.”
Trump also moved to pull the Secret Service security detail that was assigned to protect Bolton shortly after he took office in January 2025. Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-really-really-hates-the-president-ex-trump-chief-of-staff-unloads-on-john-bolton">slammed</a> Bolton as &#8220;dumb&#8221; in a Truth Social post written in response to criticism over his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
CNN reported that Bolton was not home at the time of the raid.

Aznar Inaugurates The ‘faes Campus 2024’ On The Renewal Of The European Union

FBI Raids Home Of Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton

kash patel

Former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney let loose on former National Security Adviser John Bolton, claiming that Bolton &#8220;hates the president&#8221; and adding, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant, or just an idiot.&#8221;
Mulvaney discussed Bolton&#8217;s recent comments during an interview with former Fox News host Bill O&#8217;Reilly, and he held nothing back when it came to Bolton&#8217;s opinion of President Donald Trump.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Former Trump Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney:
&#8220;I know [John] Bolton. Bolton would say anything to make President Trump look bad.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant or just an idiot.&#8221;
&#8220;But he really, really hates the president. Trump Derangement… <a href="https://t.co/oKwJ6RQOxA">pic.twitter.com/oKwJ6RQOxA</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1955393637212168274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I know [John] Bolton,&#8221; Mulvaney said. &#8220;Bolton would say anything to make President Trump look bad. I don&#8217;t know what that makes him — I don&#8217;t know if it makes him a traitor, a miscreant, or just an idiot — I&#8217;m not really sure.&#8221;
&#8220;But he really, really hates the president. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real thing,&#8221; he added, and O&#8217;Reilly voiced his agreement. &#8220;And John Bolton has got it as bad as anybody.&#8221;
Bolton most recently criticized Trump&#8217;s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at bringing about peace between Russia and Ukraine after three years of war and bloodshed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The danger with Trump&#8217;s present position on Ukraine is that he has not committed continued military assistance, weapons, ammunition, and, most critically, intelligence. <a href="https://t.co/bTWvyPZiug">pic.twitter.com/bTWvyPZiug</a>
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1954950566364254572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump fired back on Wednesday morning, trashing media outlets for giving Bolton a platform.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/wkUrPopPgn">pic.twitter.com/wkUrPopPgn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1955596204714418438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin,&#8221; Trump posted via Truth Social. &#8220;Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people like John Bolton, who just said that, even though the meeting is on American soil, &#8216;Putin has already won.&#8217; What’s that all about? We are winning on EVERYTHING. The Fake News is working overtime (No tax on overtime!). If I got Moscow and Leningrad free, as part of the deal with Russia, the Fake News would say that I made a bad deal! But now they’ve been caught. Look at all of the real news that’s coming out about their CORRUPTION. They are sick and dishonest people, who probably hate our Country. But it doesn’t matter because we are winning on everything!!! MAGA.&#8221;

2022 Web Summit In Lisbon

‘He Really, Really Hates The President’: Ex-Trump Chief Of Staff Unloads On John Bolton

'He Really, Really Hates The President': Mick Mulvaney Unloads On John Bolton

Mick Mulvaney

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, urged President Donald Trump over the weekend to reconsider pulling the protective security detail off of several administration officials who served during his first term in office.
Cotton made the remarks during a Sunday interview on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; when asked about Trump&#8217;s decision to pull the details off of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton, and former Iran envoy Brian Hook.
&#8220;I would encourage the president to revisit the decision for those people who are being targeted by Iran,&#8221; Cotton said, noting that even Trump has been a target for Iranian assassination over the last few years in retaliation for the killing of Iranian terrorist commander Qasem Soleimani.
&#8220;As the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, I&#8217;ve reviewed the intelligence in the last few days, the threat to anyone involved in President Trump&#8217;s strike on Qasem Soleimani is persistent,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s real. Iran is committed to vengeance against all of these people.&#8221;
&#8220;In fact, the chief of staff of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence agreed with me that if these threats were against him or his family that he would want security because the threats are real,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;There are gaps in our coverage. We don&#8217;t know what we don&#8217;t know, and it&#8217;s better to be safe than sorry, because it&#8217;s not just about these men who helped President Trump carry on his policy in his first term.&#8221;
Cotton said that the protective details also protect other innocent people who could get caught up in any kind of assassination attempts, including random bystanders in public spaces.
&#8220;It&#8217;s also about the President being able to get good people and get good advice,&#8221; Cotton said. &#8220;If people are saying going to work for the president now on Iran or China or North Korea or the Mexican drug cartels, they might hesitate to do so, or they might hesitate if they&#8217;re in office, to give him the advice he needs or carry out the policies that he decides upon.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) urges Trump to reconsider pulling the security details of former officials who have been threatened by Iran:
“I would encourage the president to revisit the decision for those people who are being targeted by Iran as the president was targeted for… <a href="https://t.co/uquQyjNoeN">pic.twitter.com/uquQyjNoeN</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1883555853044732330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2025</a></blockquote>

Senate Judiciary Committee Considers Nominations For Judges

Cotton Urges Trump To ‘Revisit’ His Decision To Pull Protective Details Off People Targeted By Iran

Iran

Mike Pompeo

Tom Cotton

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