DEVELOPING: FBI Raids John Bolton's House

[douglas9]

Shortly before 7:00 am Friday morning, the FBI and Montgomery County police were seen at the Bethesda home of John Bolton, who served as national security advisor for part of Donald Trump’s first term. Montgomery County police sealed off the street on which Bolton lives while an unmarked black SUV parked in front of Bolton’s house. Montgomery County police confirmed that they were on site in support of the FBI.

Lawfare’s Ben Wittes was on site, livestreaming on Substack.

It is uncertain what the law enforcement presence pertains to, but Bolton was the target of an investigation at the end of Trump’s first term for allegedly disclosing classified information in his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/developing-the-fbi-is-at-john-boltons

[malaise]

1. I am your retribution

No one is safe from this monster
That is all

[dalton99a]

21. +1. Trump has no qualms about arresting Obama/Clinton/Biden.

None whatsoever.

[malaise]

23. This one is vulgar

https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/breaking-john-bolton-s-home-raided-by-the-fbi-245558853902

[PatSeg]

66. Yes, the unfettered power is truly going to his head

Putin taught him well. All political enemies are on the chopping block.

[NJCher]

24. Always thought that was a dumbass comment

He thinks everyone cares about this petty crap like he does.

Most magats won’t even remember who Bolton was. Even if they did, they wouldn’t understand what he said. Bolton is way over their heads.

Just more of our tax dollars being wasted on b,s, distraction.

[iluvtennis]

59. Yep, wasted tax dollars that go to food stamps, PBS, NPR, etc. n/t

[Martin Eden]

50. That was my first thought

The heads of the FBI, Justice Dept, Homeland Security, and Military were all appointed by Mad King Donald to obey his every command.

[Bev54]

61. Retribution while at the same time a big distraction for Trump

He is trying everything he can to make Epstein disappear.

[malaise]

68. That will not happen

Take it to the bank
Epstein’s is Nixon’s tapes

[peggysue2]

70. That's it exactly, malaise

I'm no great fan of John Bolton but this is disgusting.

Trump and his jackals are on a mission to perform vendetta spectacles because Donnie's tender fee-fees are hurt with any and all criticism. Bolton was very negative about the recent Putin visit on American soil.

This is the Mad King's ridiculous overreaction, payback for the raids on his own lawless behavior and those of his sycophants.

They're willing to destroy the reputation of the FBI with this vindictive stunt.

Never forget, never forgive.

[homegirl]

74. Bolton is as

bad as Trump. And this is one of the worst mistakes Trump has made. JOHN BOLTON KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BODIES ARE BURIED. And he will hang Donald out to dry.

This is even worse than killing Epstein, who would have been safely imprisoned for 20 to life if he had been tried!

[malaise]

75. Epstein knew too much

To live

[allegorical oracle]

2. One abuse of power after another. It's a form of intimidating terrorism. nt

[Ars Longa]

69. The Department of Justice DOJ, is now the Department of Trumps' Revenge DOTR.

This should be repeated ad-infinitum By all Dems & Non-MAGA, until it sticks....

[allegorical oracle]

71. Or as one wag on TV put it, "The Office of the Inquisition."nt

[Tommy Carcetti]

3. Bolton's a soft target, a test case.

He’s a cranky Bush era relic who helped get us stuck in Iraq.

On the other hand, he’s also a prominent Trump critic.

So the left probably isn’t going to pay too much mind or cry too many tears if Trump sics his goons on him.

But that is where the slippery slope begins.

John Bolton today, Barack Obama tomorrow.

[Hornedfrog2000]

8. Yup

More stern letters are needed. Bongos, and kumbaya.

[RoeVWade]

37. Arresting anyone - especially politicos -- proof of concept for Trump goon squad.

It would be nice if everyone would be "woke" about what's going on. Of course, I mean woke in the most expansive sense.

[alfredo]

87. His vocal opposition of Orange Julius is enough reason

For trump to deploy his thugs to send a message: get back in line or suffer a kneecapping.

[quakerboy]

88. Chances are good that

Bolton is legit a criminal. In my opinion.

As you point out, the slippery slope if we dont stand up for him.

But.

If we do defend him, we likely get burned. The media hand feeds the uninterested center proof of his misdeeds that makes us look alarmist, and then people dont pay attention when we try to call out when they come for others.

Slippery slope either way. Kinda an ideal test subject for this, for them

[Chasstev365]

4. All former President, especially W Bush, need to come out and condemn this!

WTF are they waiting for? The media would have to cover it and it would further enforce the idea that Trump.is losing his mind.

[Hornedfrog2000]

11. Well,

Obama did release some very nonspecific statement about something the other day. We have people in the democratic party falling over themselves to not sound tacky and they will have to do it from jail soon.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

72. That's not true

Yesterday President Biden was to blame; today it's President Obama.

https://x.com/BarackObama

https://x.com/ObamaFoundation

If you boycott twitter because Elon might get a quarter if you don't, try bluesky.

This site supporting Democrats is sure consistent in trashing them. Every day.

[dem4decades]

5. A message to everyone, this country is done.

[kkmarie]

7. Completely

1000% agree

[Hornedfrog2000]

13. The thing is,

Democrats when asked about this will answer the questions directly, rather than just saying what is happening. I will give an example,

What do you think about the investigation into Bolton, schumer? Do you think bolton did this?

Schumer should say, this is exactly the reason donald trump is a dictator. He doesnt like being asked about epstein, so he makes up reasons to send the FBI after bolton.

He could also say, well if donald trump didnt spend most of his free time hanging out with pedophiles like epstein, and letting other pedophiles like maxwell out of prison this wouldnt be happening, but he needs a distraction so you people are talking about this now.


But no, he will be falling over himself to respond to why john bolton is innocent, and when the facts come out, blah blah blah. They will miss an opportunity to turn this around, again. They have no clue how to handle the media.

[CrispyQ]

54. This: They have no clue how to handle the media.

They should have hired George Lakoff back when he published "Don't Think of an Elephant," & every dem in office should read his book, "Moral Politics." The repubs have more successfully branded us than we have. Tax & spend democrats. Tree huggers. Baby killers. WTF? We don't seem to value marketing & capturing the narrative, like marketing our ideas with clever sayings demeans them or something. ??? I don't get it. The whole party needs to pile on with Newsom. Mock that orange fucker mercilessly. The only thing that will ever really get his goat is humiliation.

[Ursus Rex]

62. The Right has studied Lakoff and Alinsky thoroughly.

New Gingrich did too, and that's how he was able to neatly frame the whole structure of discussion in that little pamhlet he wrote way back when. It's also how they know who Lakoff and Alinsky even are, and why, e.g., Sean Hannity so often brings up their names as boogeymen.

[underpants]

31. I agree. Bolton isn't really aligned with anyone so he was low hanging fruit

[C_U_L8R]

35. Trump always punches down

A true coward.

[underpants]

39. Yep. Clearly a sign to others.

[LiberalArkie]

6. Lawfare: FBI action at John Bolton's House--Live

https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/p/fbi-action-at-john-boltons-houselive?utm_source=live-stream-redirect&triedRedirect=true

Trump terminated Bolton’s security clearance on January 20 as one of his first acts in office. He also immediately withdrew the government security detail that had been protecting Bolton, who had been the target of an assassination plot arranged by the Iranian government. Bolton was also named on the “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State” list in the book Government Gangsters published in 2023 by now-FBI Director Kash Patel.

[doc03]

9. They will find or plant classified documents nt

[RoeVWade]

26. Planting evidence would also be pretty easy.

Trump knows plenty of unsavory characters besides being one himself.

[doc03]

28. Trump could just have them plant something from his stash of documents easy peasy. Test target

both Republicans and Democrats hate Bolton. Next will be one of our own Obama, Biden and Clintons.

[underpants]

33. I can't wait to hear the "street value" of all the drugs they find.

[spanone]

10. Another distraction from the Epstein Files.

[Hornedfrog2000]

12. Or is it about the epstein files?

They have to find a way to show it was a hoax.

[johnnyfins]

46. Yeah. Maybe Bolton has something that

TSF wants desperately...

[Takket]

14. Amazing how the word has changed isn't it.

During Bush2, DUers lambasted Bolton. He was a liar. A warmongerer. Dangerous. All of that was true by the way.

Look at the guy now. Someone who we then classified as being on the far right, is basically seen practically as a liberal now in today’s political landscape. Just goes to show just how far drumpf has pushed the party. The only parties in America now, to the current government, are MAGA, and drumpf’s enemies.

And the media just goes right on acting like it’s the same old gop it always has been.

[radical noodle]

18. Watching MSNBC

They're not acting like it's the same old gop it always has been on this story. And John Bolton is still all those things, and even though he has denounced trump, he refused to vote for Kamala. So he did this to himself.

[Boomerproud]

19. I can only speak for myself and I am frightened.

The powers that be are totally out of control.

[jfz9580m]

49. Honestly

I don’t care when Trump goes after Bolton, Liz Cheney etc.

I remember the Bush years well and whatever these guys are doing now, they were not decent people and I have a long memory on stuff like that.

This society is ahistorical and that’s partly what causes Trump etc in the first place. I’d be pissed off if he went after E Jeanne. Bolton (and his moustache) leave me cold.

[BannonsLiver]

58. He's not going to stop at Republicans we don't like.

Last edited Sat Aug 23, 2025, 11:44 AM - Edit history (1)

That’s the issue here.

[jfz9580m]

63. Oh I get that

I totally get why it’s scary..
I am not saying this is a good thing at all. i think all of this is alarming.

It’s just fatigue which is an effect trump has. No I don’t actually think anyone should be thrown to the wolves or denied due process.

It is all wearisome ;-/…

Sadly it reminds me of a joke about the old USSR my mom showed me in an old Reader’s Digest.

An Englishman, An American and A Russian are sitting in a bar and they decide to describe their idea of what true happiness is.

The Englishman says “I come home home and my wife and I have a cosy dinner and sit by the fireside with our dog reading newspapers. That’s happiness”.

The American says “That sounds so dull. I would like to meet a beautiful stranger, take her out and have a wonderful evening of wine and dancing. I look into her eyes and she smiles. That’s happiness”.

The Russian says “Comrades you both have it wrong! You are sleeping in your bed and it’s 2 am and there’s a knock at the door. You answer it and a man in a black coat and hat whose eyes you cannot see asks you “Is this where Ivan Ivanovich lives?” Happiness is when you answer with a sigh of relief “No. Ivan Ivanovich lives next door.””

I heard that joke some 30 odd years ago as a child. I can’t believe that’s the US these days. It’s like the old USSR more than Nazi Germany I guess. Shocking to see it unfold.

It’s just that with the daily firehose of bad news I have the “Ivan Ivanovich lives next door” reaction to some news items more than others.

But you are right. I guess I meant more that I don’t really like Bolton rehabilitating his image, but yeah any further slide into dictatorship is scary.

[Linda ladeewolf]

64. This! This is a test. We need to complain about this as much as we would if it were Obama or it will be Obama.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

73. What?

"Someone who we then classified as being on the far right, is basically seen practically as a liberal now in today’s political landscape."

Who basically sees him practically as a liberal??

[Takket]

86. MAGA. sorry that wasn't clear

[Hieronymus Phact]

80. Bolton is/was a NeoCon

If they still exist, and we all vehemently opposed them for their ideas, but those guys are at heart Institutionalists. That's what we have in common with them. That's why we can come out now and stand with him when he's under attack, if it's as illegitimate as we expect. It's putting country over ideology and it's Ok.

[W_HAMILTON]

84. No one would mistake Bolton for a liberal. Being against Trump's MAGA fascism spans the entire political spectrum.

[Emile]

15. He has been criticizing Trump's foreign policies.

[alittlelark]

16. Maybe he fears Bolton has info on the Epstein files

Or a copy of the files themselves.

[WiVoter]

38. Makes Me Think They Know Someone Has Those Epstein Files

And they don’t know who it is. Whoever it is might be close to leaving them with the right person/place because of the situation we’re in. With the midterms approaching, whoever it is might wait, but not too long. That my tinfoil theory.

[bluestarone]

65. Well, if Bolton does have ANY Epstein info

It should be hidden very well, even shared with others, just in case TSF pulls some shit. (which he truly will)

[Starbeach]

17. Friday late August

Much of the marquee media is away. Perfectly timed.

[Biophilic]

20. No one is basically safe in a fascist nation.

They always eat their own as well as others. They rule by fear. It always works for a while.

[Farmer-Rick]

22. Since when does pedo Trump

Care about classified documents? He just used them as toilet paper for the last 4 years. He's already given Elderly Putin most all our national secrets and access to all our critical infrastructure.

What does this ridicules kubuki show do? Seems to me it's just pedo Trump's way of getting back at some Republican who dare criticize his orange ass. He will go after former Republicans more viciously because he has to keep the party in line to keep getting away with all his crimes.

[Captain Zero]

29. So will Bolton's bathroom be FILLED WITH DOCS?

Like Trump's was at MarsLoco?

[Farmer-Rick]

42. Perhaps....

Bolton is a bit of a traitor but pedo Trump is a worse traitor.

[cpamomfromtexas]

25. Bet They are planting evidence Trump had in

Mara Lago bathroom.

[ImNotGod]

27. Its the revenge tour of the band called tRump and the nazi regime. nt

[Captain Zero]

30. Nazipublicans making raids

Is what it. Is.

[doc03]

32. Doesn't it just happen to be the day some Epstein files will be

released? What are the headlines, John Bolton's house is raided by the FBI.

[Mark.b2]

34. Again? With the early morning raids?

DOJ could have spoken with his lawyer to have him report this morning.

Bolton is not a good person, but this is ridiculous.

This is purely to rattle the cages of other targets. Bolton is a nobody.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

36. Weren't the first batch of Epstein files due Congress today?

[surfered]

60. Bingo!

[Peacetrain]

40. All politics aside... this is not right!! I will stand up for those on the other side when their rights are being

compromised, just as I would stand up for my side of the political spectrum. This is the Trump vengeance tour plain and simple

[SheltieLover]

41. EPSTEIN MAXWELL & MALARIA

[Stuckinthebush]

43. I'm not a Bolton fan, but

This smacks of Trump retribution and weaponization of the justice department. We should all be concerned.

[D. Spaulding]

44. Bolton has dared to criticize Trump, and some of his policies

of late. The Orange one is quashing all dissent.

[calimary]

78. TRYING to quash all dissent.

I doubt he’ll be successful in this. It’s just gonna “go underground” and fester like an infected boil.

[Botany]

45. This what happens in police states where you have a mentally ill thin skinned dictator who "won" his ...

…. election because of massive cheating and criminal activities both domestically and
internationally too.

(John Bolton used his Constitutionally protected 1st amendment right to criticized Trump
and now he has the FBI sicced on him. This is what Fascists States do and BTW Bolton
is hardly a liberal.)


https://thiswillhold.substack.com/p/ex-cia-whistleblower-the-nsa-audited

Unlocked Backdoor

In September 2024, ES&S quietly pushed a change into its certified election software: ECO 1188. Pro V&V rubber‑stamped it. The EAC signed off. This change alone isn’t the whole issue—rather it’s just one piece of a much larger, compromised puzzle that’s been taking shape in plain sight for decades.

On paper, it was filed as a “de minimis” update — a minor tweak that wouldn’t require deep review.
In reality, it moved a critical file (config.ini) from the static hash list to the dynamic hash list inside ES&S’s Electionware software.

For anyone who doesn’t speak vendor-euphemism, here’s what that means:

Certified voting software normally has cryptographic hashes — a kind of digital fingerprint — for every file.
If even a single character in a protected file changes, the hash doesn’t match, and the system throws an error.

ECO 1188 told the software: Don’t check this file anymore.

[CaptainTruth]

47. After Bolton gave Trump the idea for Space Force...

The PNAC (which included Bolton) in 2000, one of their 14 Key Positions:
"Control the new 'international commons' of space and 'cyberspace,' and pave the way for the creation of a new military service--U.S. Space Forces--with the mission of space control."

Fast forward to 2018. Trump made Bolton his National Security Advisor in April, & announced Space Force in May, the next month.

Where do you think Trump got the idea?

[gab13by13]

48. People are missing the point, the reason that Bolton's house was raided is not relevant.

Krasnov already went after Bolton for his book and the courts found nothing. The next victims will be Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, anyone who does not fluff Krasnov.

Maybe the FBI found a fluffer DC judge to OK the search? Oh wait has Jeanne Pirro started working in DC yet?

[obamanut2012]

51. Yes, Pirro 100% okayed it

She is on the "job."

[malaise]

52. 100% correct

Rec

[txwhitedove]

56. Also, the Bully has to bully, attack, show force. We've all been laughing at him, bigly.

[dedl67]

53. Trump is following the playbook of "It Can't Happen Here"

In another thread yesterday I posted a paragraph from a Wikipedia summary of "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. In view of the events today, I think it is worth posting again.

"Having previously foreshadowed some authoritarian measures to reorganize the government, Windrip outlaws dissent, incarcerates political enemies in concentration camps, and trains and arms a paramilitary force called the "Minute Men" (named after the Revolutionary War militias of the same name), who terrorize citizens and enforce the policies of a corporatist regime. One of Windrip's first acts as president is to eliminate the influence of Congress, which draws the ire of many citizens as well as the legislators themselves. The Minute Men respond to protests harshly, attacking demonstrators with bayonets. In addition to these actions, Windrip's administration, known as the Corpo government, curtails women's and minority rights, and eliminates individual states by subdividing the country into administrative sectors. The government of these sectors is managed by Corpo authorities, usually prominent businessmen or Minute Men officers. Those accused of crimes against the government appear before kangaroo courts presided over by military judges. A majority of Americans approve of these dictatorial measures, seeing them as painful but necessary steps to restore American power."

[dalton99a]

67. +1

[Bristlecone]

81. Well, hopefully he ends up like 'ol Buzz

[róisín_dubh]

55. I'm working my second job in a pub in rural England...

and one of our regulars just came in and told me about this. He's pretty politically astute and a leftist.
Whilst I'm no Bolton fan (who the fuck here on DU is), this is such a terrible, terrible precedent.

[D. Spaulding]

57. This is absolutely sickening. Not sure what is more alarming; the fact

that he's doing this right in the open, or the fact that so many in our country seem ok with this going after people that speak out against you.

[Eliot Rosewater]

76. Add this to forcing military to kneel for Putin

And maybe people will start to realize that we are going to be attacked and if you haven’t exercised your second amendment right yet, what can I say.

[Diraven]

77. Get ready for more raids

Remember the 37 security clearances they just revoked? Pretty sure that was a setup to catch those people who could still be in possession of classified material, which instantly became a crime then.

[Lovie777]

79. Bolton has documentary evidence......................

that the orange one does not want exposed. shithole continues with his revenge tour all hell will break out against him and he will not like it and his cruelty will be towards the American people.

[Red Mountain]

82. Lie down with dogs....

It's a bit of a shame, really. I can see Democrats stepping up on the redistricting issue. Fighting fire with fire.

I don't see them following this precedent no matter how tempting.....nor should they.

The people that violate laws to act on Trump's wishes, however.....make it loud and fast as soon as we're in a position to do so.

[malthaussen]

83. LOLLOLOLOLOL.

I hope they make him shave off that mustache when they put him in jail.

Okay, okay, any citizen being subjected to a blatant abuse of power is bad, even if I personally can't stand the guy. Must suppress my bad angel (who is gloating).

-- Mal

[LetMyPeopleVote]

85. MaddowBlog-FBI searches home of former national security adviser John Bolton, a frequent Trump target

It’s extraordinary to see the FBI target a prominent presidential critic, suspecting him of the same wrongdoing that led to a Trump criminal indictment.

After Bolton told the public that Trump is “unfit to be president”:
- Trump tried to block his book from being published
- Trump canceled his security detail
- Trump revoked his security clearance
- and now the FBI has raided his house www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-08-22T12:37:56.418Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-raids-home-former-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-frequent-t-rcna226507

The escalation has now reached new heights. NBC News reported:

The FBI raided former national security adviser John Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, on Friday as part of a ‘national security investigation in search of classified records,’ a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News. ... In a post on X early Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote, ‘NO ONE is above the law... @FBI agents on mission.’

.....What’s more, before Bolton’s book was released in 2020, Team Trump’s lawyers went to court in the hopes of derailing its publication. That effort failed and the book became a bestseller.

Three months later, Trump’s Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether Bolton disclosed classified information when he published his memoir. A former career official with the National Security Council later said in a court filing that Team Trump opened the criminal investigation into Bolton based on false pretenses......

That said, at face value, it’s nothing short of extraordinary to see the FBI, led by a hyperpartisan Trump loyalist, search the home of a prominent presidential critic — suspecting him of the same wrongdoing that led to one of Trump’s criminal indictments.

[Cha]

89. This could also be A Cautionary Tale for

those who think they might be Raided by Traitor's Fucking Bureau on Inquisition.

Don't have Anything incriminating in your Home.