FBI raids home of Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton in classified records probe

FBI agents conducted a raid on the home of former national security adviser John Bolton, under President Trump, in the early hours of Friday, August 22.

The agents arrived at Mr. Bolton’s residence in the DC area as part of a high-profile national security investigation, ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The search is reportedly part of a "national security investigation in search of classified records," though more details are currently unknown.

Patel seemed to hint at the raid earlier, in a post on X on Friday morning.

"NO ONE is above the law... @FBI agents on mission," he posted.

Attorney General Pam Bondi reposted Patel’s tweet, writing: "America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always."

According to initial reports from the New York Post, FBI agents conducted the raid at the Bethesda, Maryland property at 7 am local time.

Mr. Bolton served as national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, during Trump’s first term, but has since become a vocal critic of Trump.

He faced criticism over his 2020 book, "The Room Where It Happened," with allegations that it included classified information. President Trump claimed the content violated an NDA and attempted to block its publication at the time, but was ultimately unable to do so.

The Justice Department opened an inquiry into the book during Trump’s first term, but it was closed in 2021 under the Biden administration for "political reasons," according to a senior US official.

Since the initial inquiry, Mr. Bolton has had a tumultuous relationship with the current President, often appearing on US news channels to criticize the President’s foreign policy decisions. Trump has repeatedly criticized him in return, saying he "blew up the Middle East" and is "stupid."

Recently, Mr. Bolton criticized a report by Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, accusing former president Barack Obama of orchestrating a "years-long coup" against Trump.

While FBI agents were inside his home, the former security adviser posted on X, criticizing Trump’s approach to the Russian war on Ukraine, though it’s unclear if this was scheduled beforehand.

The raid is another example of the Trump administration cracking down on potential political adversaries, with the National Guard patrolling the streets of the US capital just last week after the President seized the police department.