John Bolton

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

In a dramatic escalation of a national security investigation, FBI agents raided the Bethesda, Maryland home of former national security adviser John Bolton on Friday morning, Aug. 22, according to multiple reports.

Bolton, age 76, a veteran of multiple Republican administrations and one of Washington’s most outspoken foreign policy hawks, served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019 before becoming a sharp critic. 

While he did not mention Bolton by name, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X Friday morning, "NO ONE is above the law… @FBI gents on mission." It was posted about the time news of the search was first reported, around 7 a.m.

Later Friday morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi shared Patel's X post, and commented, "America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always."

The search of Bolton's home involves a  “national security investigation in search of classified records,” NBC News reports, citing a source.

Bolton's split with Trump was acrimonious. While Trump has claimed he fired Bolton, the longtime diplomat and commentator insists he resigned over policy differences.

Bolton, who detailed his White House tenure in a 2020 memoir and is now a CNN commentator, has condemned Trump’s foreign policy moves this year, particularly his handling of the negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine war.

After news of the search first broke Friday morning, Bolton posted a comment of his own on X, but it made no mention of the search warrant. He stated, "Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so. Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don't see these talks making any progress." 

Bolton has also criticized the administration’s use of insecure messaging apps for sensitive military discussions.

A former US ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush and an assistant attorney general under Ronald Reagan, Bolton has advocated a tough stance on Iran, North Korea, and other American adversaries. In early 2025, Trump revoked Bolton’s Secret Service detail despite ongoing threats against his life.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.