FBI raids former National Security Adviser John Bolton's home: Reports
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FBI agents walk outside John Bolton's house after a court-authorized search at his place on August 22, 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland. Photo: Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images
The FBI raided the Maryland home of John Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser, on Friday morning, multiple outlets reported.
Why it matters: Bolton was vocal in his criticism of the president after working in the first Trump administration. Trump has aggressively used the power of the presidency to punish political foes.
- The FBI declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
The latest: "No, I don't know about it," Trump said to press on Friday. "I saw it on television this morning. I'm not a fan of John Bolton. He's a real lowlife."
- "We're in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation into John Bolton," Vice President JD Vance said in a Meet the Press interview on Friday, adding that classified documents were part of the reason for the probe.
- Vance said Bolton was "not at all" being targeted for being a Trump critic.
Driving the news: The raid is part of a high-profile national security probe involving classified documents, according to the New York Post, which first reported the news.
- A federal magistrate judge in Maryland approved the search, ABC News reported. Bolton said he was unaware of the FBI activity, CNN reported.
- Bolton was not detained or charged with any crimes, AP reported.
What we're watching: "NO ONE is above the law," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X Friday morning, without reference to a specific situation. "FBI agents on mission."
- Attorney General Pam Bondi added: "America's safety isn't negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always."
Between the lines: Patel included Bolton in a list of what he called "members of the executive branch deep state."
Zoom out: In January, Trump stripped Bolton's security protections along with those of other political adversaries.
- In a foreword to his memoir that published last year Bolton wrote that "a mountain of facts demonstrates that Trump is unfit to be President."
Flashback: Publication of Bolton's memoir was delayed in 2020 as the White House reviewed its content. The administration sued Bolton in federal court claiming he breached his contract by failing to complete a pre-publication review for classified information.
- The Justice Department in 2021 under President Biden closed its criminal investigation into whether Bolton disclosed classified information in his memoir.
- "This is a complete vindication," Bolton told Axios at the time. "They're just giving up."
- A federal judge allowed Bolton to publish the book, but ruled that he "likely published classified materials" and "exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability."
Context: Bolton has faced death threats from Iran after being a fierce critic of the regime.
- In 2022, an Iranian national was charged in connection with a plot to assassinate Bolton.
Go deeper: First look: John Bolton's predictions for a second Trump term
Editor's note: This story has been updated with details and comments from Trump and Vance.
