The White House’s search of former national security adviser John Bolton’s home and office is raising questions about whether the White House is flexing its law enforcement muscle to go after a frequent critic. Bolton has become a fierce critic of President Trump since exiting the White House in September 2019. He penned a book in 2020, titled “The Room Where It Happened,” that portrayed Trump as an erratic and uninformed leader. The Trump administration went to court in an effort to block its publication and ignited a criminal probe of Bolton. Both the court case and the criminal probe were dropped several months into the Biden administration.
Various figures think politics were at play in the administration’s decision to go after Bolton. Some in Trump’s circle, however, believe the motivation is clear. White House officials have pushed back on the suggestion that they are weaponizing law enforcement against Trump’s critics. Trump was adamant that he only learned of the search Friday morning from coverage on television. Democrats raised concerns during Patel’s confirmation hearing that he would use the agency to target Trump critics and opponents.
While the FBI has not commented on the nature of the search, it appears Bolton’s book as well as broader concerns over classified records were the basis of the investigation. Democrats and other critics of Trump suggested there was a political motivation to the pursuit of Bolton. Trump’s 2024 campaign was filled with grievances and complaints that the federal government had been weaponized against him after he was indicted in four separate criminal cases, including one over his handling of classified material after leaving office.
