Who Is John Bolton and Why Was His Home Raided by the FBI? What to Know About Trump’s Former Security Adviser

John Bolton — President Donald Trump's erstwhile information advisor — is astatine nan halfway of different classified archive search.

Bolton served successful Trump's management from April 2018 until September 2019, erstwhile he near connected tense position and became an outspoken professional of nan president's policies. On Aug. 22, Bolton's location was raided by nan FBI, pinch a root acquainted pinch nan matter telling NBC News it was portion of a hunt for "classified matters."

Just aft nan ambush began, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote connected X that "NO ONE is supra nan law," and that nan FBI agents are "on a mission." Around nan aforesaid time, Bolton shared a station connected X successful which he commented connected nan Russia-Ukraine war, penning that Trump will proceed pushing for meetings connected nan conflict "because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don't spot these talks making immoderate progress."

The ambush came astir 1 week aft Trump shared a lengthy connection connected Truth Social, calling retired nan media and "dumb group for illustration John Bolton," who are criticizing his recent meetings pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Very unfair media is astatine activity connected my gathering pinch Putin. Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb group for illustration John Bolton, who conscionable said that, moreover though nan gathering is connected American soil, ‘Putin has already won,’ ” Trump wrote. “What’s that each about? We are winning connected EVERYTHING."

So, who is John Bolton? Here's everything to cognize astir why President Donald Trump's erstwhile information advisor had his location raided by nan FBI.

Who is John Bolton?

Bolton was raised successful Yale Heights, Maryland, a vicinity extracurricular of Baltimore, per The New York Times. After serving six years successful nan National Guard and graduating from Yale University successful 1970, per nan outlet, Bolton went connected to person a decades-long profession successful politics, holding respective authorities work positions.

Most notably, he was an ambassador to nan United Nations during erstwhile president George W. Bush's administration, per NBC News, earlier going connected to service arsenic Trump's nationalist information advisor from April 2018 until September 2019.

A personnel of nan Republican Party, Bolton is astir known arsenic a overseas argumentation hawk and a beardown advocator for subject intervention.

As for his individual life, he has been joined to Gretchen Smith Bolton since 1986, per USA Today.

Why did John Bolton time off Trump's administration?

In September 2019, Trump removed Bolton from his management aft nan brace had disagreements complete really to grip awesome overseas argumentation challenges, per The New York Times.

According to nan outlet, Trump and Bolton had been astatine likelihood for nan past twelvemonth and a half — and erstwhile they yet ended their partnership, they moreover disagreed connected really they parted ways.

Trump wrote connected X that he had fired nan advisor whose services were "no longer needed," saying that he had "disagreed powerfully pinch galore of his suggestions." Meanwhile, Bolton disputed nan claims and insisted he resigned connected his ain terms.

"I offered to resign past nighttime and President Trump said, 'Let's talk astir it tomorrow,' " Bolton wrote connected X conscionable minutes aft Trump's post.

According to The New York Times, nan staffing alteration came conscionable days aft Bolton pushed for a last-minute run to extremity Trump from signing a bid statement astatine Camp David pinch leaders of nan Taliban group. While Trump ended up scrapping nan deal, he yet grew angry astir nan measurement it each played out, per nan outlet.

Why was John Bolton nether Secret Service protection aft he near office?

While it's regular for statesmanlike advisers to person U.S. Secret Service protection, Bolton had it agelong aft he near office. He was granted Secret Service protection by erstwhile President Joe Biden's management successful December 2021, per CBS News.

That determination came aft Iran issued threats of retaliation for a 2020 drone strike, ordered by Trump while Bolton was successful office, that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. In 2022, Bolton was besides nan target of a execution crippled by a personnel of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In January 2025, Trump revoked Bolton's U.S. Secret Service protection, though he was facing continued threats from Iran.

Bolton wrote successful a connection to The Hill that he was "disappointed but not amazed that President Trump has made this decision."

"Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden's national-security policies, he nevertheless made nan determination to erstwhile again widen Secret Service protection to maine successful 2021," Bolton added.

Why was John Bolton’s location raided by nan FBI?

In nan early hours of Aug. 22, FBI agents raided Bolton's Maryland home. An insider told NBC News that nan ambush is portion of a "national information investigation successful hunt of classified records."

According to nan outlet, nan investigation into Bolton began during nan Biden administration, but had not made immoderate activity earlier Biden near agency successful January 2025.

This isn't nan first clip location has been a conflict betwixt Bolton and nan Trump management complete "classified records," arsenic nan erstwhile advisor was antecedently sued by nan Justice Department successful 2020 successful an effort to artifact nan publication and waste of his book, The Room Where it Happened, a tell-all astir his clip moving for Trump, though it was released.

According to CNBC, nan suit was revenge during Trump's past twelvemonth of his first term, and a Justice Department lawyer told a judge that nan book was "a flagrant breach of" Bolton’s statement not to constitute astir classified matters.

The department dropped nan lawsuit successful June 2021, soon aft Biden took office. According to The New York Times, nan biggest takeaways from nan book included Bolton's detailing of a toxic situation wrong nan management and explaining why he didn't attest successful Trump's impeachment proceedings — though location wasn't immoderate intelligibly classified information.