Federal agents raided the Washington-area home of President Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton on Friday morning.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission” in a post on X at 7 a.m. EDT, shortly before the New York Post broke the news of the raid.
The FBI confirmed there was “court-authorized law enforcement activity” in the area near Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Md.
An FBI official and a source familiar confirmed the search to NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network. Bolton was not detained and has not been charged with any crimes, The Associated Press reported.
The search is related to classified documents, two sources told NewsNation.
Bolton has been a frequent critic of Trump’s foreign policy during his second term, particularly over his handling of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Even amid the search, Bolton’s X account was posting criticism of Trump’s handling of the matter, including that meetings between Russia and Ukraine “will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress.”
Upon returning to office, Trump pulled Bolton’s security clearance. The president also revoked Bolton’s Secret Service protection. Bolton has faced assassination threats from Iran due to his hawkish stance toward the country.
The Hill has reached out to Bolton’s spokesperson and the Department of Justice. The FBI declined further comment.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Aug. 10, Bolton was asked whether he was concerned about being targeted by the Trump administration.
“Well, I think he’s already come after me and several others in withdrawing the protection that we had,” Bolton told Jonathan Karl.
“So I think, and I said in the — in the new foreword to the paperback edition of my book, I think it is a retribution presidency,” he added.
Several Justice Department officials issued cryptic messages amid the search.
Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to Patel’s Friday morning X post, writing, “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino also responded, writing, “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”
The search bears striking similarities with the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate that have been highly criticized by his top law enforcement team, arguing the prosecution was evidence of weaponization.
Trump’s property was searched after the Justice Department repeatedly asked him to return documents from his presidency.
That FBI search — which was also carried out on an early morning in August — recovered more than 300 records with classified markings from Trump’s Florida home.
Patel has called that search unlawful.
“There was no crime, there was no predicate to go and invade Donald Trump’s home. We have answered that definitively,” he told Fox Business earlier this week.
Patel also played a key role in that episode for Trump, initially saying he saw the president declassify documents before he left office.
Patel initially pleaded the fifth when called before a grand jury on the matter and was granted immunity in order to answer questions.
Bongino at the time called it a “freaking disgrace.”
“The FBI is a fully now corrupt organization,” Bongino said in 2022 when discussing the search. “This agency serves no good purpose anymore. The agency needs to be disbanded.”
Updated at 9:13 a.m. EDT
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments