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Who Is John Bolton? All About the Former National Security Adviser and Why FBI Raided His Home
Federal agents searched John Bolton’s Maryland home and his Washington, D.C., office on Friday in a court-authorised national security investigation into potential mishandling of classified information. Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later as national security adviser in Donald Trump’s first administration, was not detained and has not been charged. This all-about explainer lays out who John Bolton is, what happened during the FBI searches, and why the moment matters.
Who is John Bolton
John Bolton is a Republican foreign-policy figure known for a hawkish, sovereignty-first approach to national security. Born in Baltimore in 1948, he studied at Yale College and Yale Law School before joining government service under President Ronald Reagan. He later served in senior State Department roles during the George W. Bush administration and, via a recess appointment in 2005, became U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In April 2018, Bolton entered the White House as national security adviser, the third to serve in that role during Trump’s first term. He left in September 2019 after sharp disagreements over Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and broader strategy.
What happened on the day of the searches
FBI agents are seen raiding John Bolton’s home in Maryland on Friday, August 22, 2025.
Source: Fox News
Early Friday morning, FBI agents arrived at Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, Maryland, and at his office in downtown Washington. Witnesses observed agents entering and exiting both sites and carrying bags and boxes. Bolton was not taken into custody and was seen at his office building while agents continued their work. Authorities described the activity as “court-authorised,” indicating a federal magistrate judge approved one or more search warrants.
Why the FBI searched his home and office
FBI agent with a box outside the home of John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, after conducting a court-authorized search on Aug. 22, 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Source: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images
Investigators are examining potential mishandling of classified information. The warrant process requires prosecutors to present probable cause to a judge that evidence of a federal crime may be found at the locations to be searched. Executing a warrant allows agents to collect materials under judicial supervision; it does not, by itself, imply guilt or signal that charges are imminent. As of publication, officials have not publicly detailed what materials they sought or recovered.
How the Justice Department and the White House responded
The Justice Department did not issue a lengthy public statement. Still, senior leaders referenced the activity on social media, emphasising that no one is above the law and that national security investigations will be pursued. Speaking separately with reporters, President Trump said he learned of the searches from television coverage, expected to be briefed, and emphasized that he did not “want to know” operational details. He also criticized Bolton personally, reflecting the years-long rift between the two men.
How Bolton went from West Wing insider to outspoken critic
John Bolton worked for the Trump administration during his first term in office.
Source: AP
Bolton’s 17-month tenure as national security adviser was marked by policy clashes. Trump announced that he had fired Bolton; Bolton said he had offered to resign. After leaving the White House, Bolton became a persistent critic of Trump’s diplomacy and public conduct, frequently writing op-eds and appearing on television to argue for a stricter stance on adversaries and a more straightforward approach to alliances.
What his 2020 memoir changed
Bolton’s 2020 book, The Room Where It Happened, presented an unflattering account of Trump’s decision-making, alleging that personal and political calculations often outweighed policy. The Trump administration sought to block publication and opened a criminal inquiry into whether the manuscript contained classified information. A judge declined to halt the book’s release, and a subsequent administration ended the civil suit and closed the earlier criminal review in 2021. The current searches are a newly authorized, separate investigation in 2025, not a reopening of the prior case.
Where Bolton stands on Russia and Ukraine
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Bolton has argued for a firmer U.S. and allied stance in support of Ukraine. In recent days, he said publicly that Vladimir Putin “clearly won” optics around a meeting with Trump in Alaska and rejected any narrative that Ukraine “took the war on,” noting that Ukraine was invaded. These comments fit a longer pattern of Bolton urging pressure on Moscow and skepticism of concessions that reward aggression.
What threats and security concerns have surrounded him
FBI agents walk outside the home of John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, after conducting a court-authorized search on Aug. 22, 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Source: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images
Bolton’s profile has kept him in the security spotlight. In 2022, U.S. prosecutors charged an Iranian national in a plot to assassinate Bolton, alleged to be retaliation for the U.S. strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani. In separate developments this year, Bolton’s government clearances and protective details became points of political dispute after changes ordered by the administration.
How the searches fit into the broader classified-records landscape
Ex-White House national security adviser John Bolton arrives at his house in Bethesda, Maryland, following the FBI search on August 22, 2025.
Source: Reuters
Over the past several years, the handling of sensitive documents by senior officials has been a recurring flashpoint. The government has conducted separate reviews of records related to Trump, Biden, and Pence, each with different outcomes. Against that backdrop, the Bolton searches are notable because they involve another figure deeply associated with national security—and because Bolton has been a consistent public critic of the president since leaving office.
What happens next in the Bolton investigation
Searches do not guarantee charges. Agents will catalogue and analyze what was seized. Prosecutors will then decide whether the facts and law justify further steps, which could include interviews, subpoenas, or no action. As of now, Bolton remains free and uncharged. His representatives have not provided detailed public comments beyond acknowledging that he was aware of law enforcement activity and was investigating it.
How Bolton’s earlier career shaped his worldview
U.S. President George W. Bush and Ambassador to the UN John Bolton meet in the Oval Office of the White House December 4, 2006 in Washington, DC.
Source: Pool/Getty Images
Before his White House service, Bolton built a reputation as a forceful advocate of American power and skepticism of international bodies that dilute U.S. freedom of action. As Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, he took a hard-line stance on nonproliferation and the International Criminal Court. His UN ambassadorship, though brief, underscored that approach. That history helps explain his later policy friction in the West Wing and his frequent media commentary since departing government.
What to know about the personal side
Away from policy debates, Bolton has been a prolific writer and commentator. He has advised Republican candidates, weighed potential presidential runs, and continued to speak on national security issues at universities and think tanks. Even a lighthearted note—his signature mustache—has followed him in accounts of earlier cabinet deliberations, though Bolton has said the facial hair was “never a factor” in appointments.
FAQs
Is John Bolton under arrest? He was not taken into custody during the searches and has not been charged with any crime.
What exactly were agents looking for? Investigators are focused on potential mishandling of classified information. Officials have not publicly described specific documents, devices or media.
Who approved the searches? A federal magistrate judge approved at least one warrant, indicating that the judge found probable cause to believe evidence of a crime could be found at the listed locations.
Did the White House direct the operation? President Trump said he learned about the searches from television coverage, expected to be briefed by Justice Department leaders, and stated that he did not “want to know” operational details. The Justice Department has not described any role for the White House beyond routine notifications.
Why is Bolton a consequential figure? Across four decades, he has held senior roles in Republican administrations, served as UN ambassador, and shaped debates on Iran, Iraq, North Korea and arms control. His views continue to influence conservative national-security circles.
What happened with Bolton’s book? The Room Where It Happened was published in 2020, following a judge’s decision not to block its release. A later administration ended the civil suit and closed that earlier criminal review in 2021. The current inquiry is separate.
Has Bolton faced credible threats? Yes. In 2022, the Justice Department charged an Iranian operative in a plot to assassinate him, linked by prosecutors to the aftermath of the Soleimani strike.
Could the searches lead to charges? They could, but they may not. Prosecutors will weigh classification status, handling, intent and potential harm. Many search-driven matters end with no charges; others proceed if the evidence supports prosecution.
