President Trump said Friday he was not given advance notice of an FBI search of former national security adviser John Bolton’s home but criticized his former aide as a “low life” and suggested he could be “very unpatriotic.”
“He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy. We’re going to find out. I know nothing about it. I just saw it this morning, they did a raid,” Trump told reporters when asked about the search.
The president said he expected the Justice Department (DOJ) to brief him on the situation later Friday.
“I tell [Attorney General Pam Bondi], and I tell the group, I don’t want to know, but you have to do what you have to do. I don’t want to know about it,” Trump said. “It’s not necessary. I could know about. I could be the one starting it. I’m actually the chief law enforcement officer. But I feel that it’s better this way.”
Federal agents were seen searching Bolton’s home in Maryland on Friday morning. The FBI confirmed there was “court-authorized law enforcement activity” going on in the area.
The search is reportedly related to the former national security adviser’s handling of classified information.
Bolton served under the first Trump administration for 17 months and has since become an outspoken critic of the president, particularly on matters of foreign policy. He published a book in 2020, called “The Room Where It Happened,” detailing his time in the White House.
The search has raised alarms among Democrats and Trump critics, who have expressed concerns it is a case of retribution against someone the president does not like.
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.
