FBI storms John Bolton’s home — Trump’s former top aide at centre of secret files scandal
John Bolton
Federal agents carried out early-morning searches at the Maryland residence and Washington, DC office of John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, as part of a major investigation into classified material.
The FBI operation began around 7 a.m. in Bethesda, Maryland, and was overseen by FBI Director Kash Patel, according to a senior Trump administration official. Shortly after agents entered the property, Patel posted a cryptic message on X, insisting: “No one is above the law.”
Bolton, 76, has not been arrested and faces no charges at this stage. The search, however, underscores the sharp escalation of a long-running dispute over his handling of sensitive information.
Donald Trump, who dismissed Bolton from his White House team in 2019, distanced himself from the raid, claiming: “I knew nothing about it … he could be very unpatriotic, we’re going to find out.”
Background of the dispute
Bolton has clashed publicly with Trump since leaving the administration, regularly criticising his foreign policy. In 2020, the Justice Department under Trump accused Bolton of mishandling classified material in his memoir The Room Where It Happened, though the case was dropped by the Biden administration.
Officials now say the new inquiry extends beyond Bolton’s book and is part of a wider probe into classified leaks spanning several administrations.
Since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, Bolton’s security clearance and Secret Service protection were revoked, prompting concerns for his safety, particularly after Iran identified him as a potential target.
Bolton responds online
As FBI agents searched his property, Bolton’s X account published a scheduled post criticising Trump’s diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine, accusing the president of chasing a Nobel Peace Prize rather than confronting Moscow’s ambitions.
The timing of the post raised eyebrows, though it was not immediately clear if Bolton himself issued it during the raid.
Broader implications
The FBI’s action against Bolton comes just a day after Patel accused former FBI Director James Comey of authorising leaks of classified documents in 2016. Patel has vowed to root out what he calls corruption and cover-ups within federal agencies.
The high-profile search adds a new chapter to the turbulent relationship between Trump and Bolton, once allies inside the Oval Office, now fierce adversaries.
