The FBI conducted an unexpected raid on the home and office of former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday. The move is part of an investigation into whether Bolton revealed classified information in his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
The US President Donald Trump distanced himself from the operation, insisting he had no advance knowledge of the raid. "I just saw it this morning on television," he informed reporters. However, he quickly turned his remarks into a fierce personal attack on his former aide. "I'm no great fan of John Bolton. He's a lowlife," Trump added. He blamed Bolton for having pushed the Bush administration into unnecessary wars and called him "bad at what he does" and "maybe very unpatriotic."
The search follows years of friction between the two men. Bolton had been the national security adviser to Trump from 2018 to 2019 before he was sacked. The relationship fractured when Bolton penned a book painting Trump as incapable of foreign policy. At the time, Trump sought to block its publication, citing a non-disclosure agreement. The Justice Department under President Biden subsequently dismissed that case.
But the topic arose again under Trump's second term. The new investigation is not limited to Bolton's book, and in follow-up interviews, officials indicated that it is much broader and includes other suspected leaks. FBI agents were seen entering his Washington-area home and his downtown office, carrying bags in and talking to people inside.
Bolton, who had attacked Trump on social media shortly before the raid, said Russia is still seeking the same thing in Ukraine and that Trump was trying to win a Nobel Peace Prize through worthless discussions with President Vladimir Putin.
Asked about the raid, Trump emphasized that he did not want to be briefed in advance. "I could be the one doing it," he said, referring to himself as the nation's "chief law enforcement officer," but added, "I don't want to know about it."
The F.B.I.'s behavior prompted JD Vance, the vice president, to defend the agency's action, claiming it was based on law, not politics. He said classified information was "absolutely a part" of the investigation, but denied it was a political attack.
Bolton has not publicly said anything more than that he was examining the FBI activity. His lawyer did not return requests to comment. The F.B.I. also declined to comment.
The raid is another explosive chapter in the bitter feud between Trump and Bolton. A one-time leading member of Trump's team, Bolton is now among his most dissonant sycophants, especially on foreign policy and Ukraine.
