Longstanding Trump–Bolton feud resurfaces following FBI raid on Bolton
The FBI conducted a raid on Friday morning at the home and office of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who served under President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019. This move comes months after Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance in January after assuming office.
The relationship between Trump and Bolton has been contentious, with both men trading insults since Bolton’s departure from the administration. Tensions escalated when Bolton sought to publish a memoir in 2020 that contained unflattering details about his time in the White House. Trump has referred to Bolton as a “wacko” and a “dope,” while Bolton has criticized Trump’s competence and focus on policy.
Bolton accused Trump of prioritizing his reelection over national security concerns and characterized his policymaking as incoherent and self-centered. The release of Bolton’s memoir, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,” was initially blocked by the Trump administration, which claimed it contained classified information. However, a federal judge allowed the book to be published in June 2020.
In response to Bolton’s claims in the book, Trump dismissed them as “pure fiction” and called Bolton a “disgruntled boring fool” who only wanted to go to war. Bolton left his position at the White House in September 2019, with conflicting accounts of whether he resigned or was fired by Trump.
Following the raid on Bolton’s home and office, Trump claimed to have no prior knowledge of the operation and described Bolton as “not a smart guy” and potentially “unpatriotic.” Bolton was not arrested or taken into custody as a result of the raid.
The ongoing saga between Trump and Bolton continues to unfold, with the two men engaging in a war of words that shows no signs of abating. As the investigation into Bolton progresses, more details are likely to emerge about the nature of the raid and its implications for both men.
This article was rewritten by Diana Stancy, a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
