"He's kind of a good-for-nothing" FBI raid on Trump's ex-advisor and critic Bolton
He used to be very close to Trump. John Bolton was a security adviser, but the two men have been at odds for some time. Now the FBI has visited Bolton. One big question remains unanswered.
23.08.2025, 06:49
23.08.2025, 09:01
dpa
In the USA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken action against one of US President Donald Trump's fiercest critics. It reportedly searched the home of Trump's former National Security Advisor, John Bolton.
Television images showed FBI employees outside a house in the state of Maryland near Washington. A CNN reporter reported that Bolton's office in Washington had also been targeted by FBI agents. Observers also see the action as a demonstration of power by the White House.
The FBI searches Bolton's house.
Image: dpa
John Bolton was Trump's adviser, now they are at odds. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The FBI searches Bolton's house.
Image: dpa
John Bolton was Trump's adviser, now they are at odds. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The background to the search was initially unclear. CNN reported, citing a person familiar with the matter, that the action was part of an - unspecified - national security investigation. The New York Times, citing two anonymous sources, wrote that investigations should clarify whether Bolton may have illegally passed on or possessed classified information.
Trump denied journalists' questions as to whether he had any knowledge of the FBI raid on Bolton. "No, I don't know anything about it. I saw it on TV this morning," he said, adding: "I'm not a fan of John Bolton. He's a bit of a good-for-nothing."
Criticism of raid - "retaliation, pure and simple"
He had instructed US Attorney General Pam Bondi to "do what needs to be done." At the same time, he did not want to know what exactly the politician close to him was up to. The NBC News channel quoted a person close to Bolton who saw the raid as a reaction to Bolton's repeated criticism of Trump.
"It's retaliation, plain and simple," she said. "Trump's Justice Department has lost any presumption of legitimacy," the New York Times quoted Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and former US Attorney General during the Obama administration, as saying.
Left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on X that Bolton and he had nothing in common politically. "But as far as I know, in America you can criticize the President of the United States without the FBI showing up on your doorstep," he continued. This is just another step in Trump's march towards authoritarianism.
Former friend, now enemy
Bolton was Trump's National Security Advisor for a time during his first term in office (2017-2021). Bolton, a long-time diplomat who is considered a foreign policy hardliner, resigned after around a year and a half in office in a dispute with Trump.
In 2020, Bolton then published a tell-all book ("The Room Where It Happened") in which he painted a damning picture of Trump. The Trump administration had previously tried in vain to stop the publication. It accused him of publishing secret information.
At times, there were also investigations into whether Bolton had passed on secret information. However, proceedings in connection with the tell-all book were dropped.
Secret Service protection withdrawn
Only shortly after the start of his second term in office, Trump had the Secret Service withdraw personal protection from Bolton. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians and not only looks after the security of active office holders, but also that of some former office holders.
Bolton recently criticized Trump again for his dealings with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin during the Ukraine war. The former adviser wrote on Platform X on the day of the FBI search, for example: Russia had not changed its goal of dragging Ukraine into a new Russian empire.
"In the meantime, meetings continue because Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize - but I don't see any progress in those talks," Bolton said.
