(NEXSTAR) – A former top advisor to President Trump pleaded not guilty in a Maryland court Friday to mishandling classified information.

John Bolton faces charges of keeping top secret records at his home and emailing his family classified information. He was indicted this week for actions after he left the White House during the president's first term.

He left the federal courthouse without talking to reporters but has previously said he thinks this is an effort by the president to "intimidate his opponents."

Bolton served as President Trump's national security adviser in his first term before being fired in 2019. He then wrote a tell-all book highly critical of the president.

President Trump commented on the indictment Thursday.

"I think he's, you know, a bad person. I think he's a

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