BETHESDA, United States: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the home of former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday morning as part of an investigation into the handling of classified documents, according to multiple US media outlets.
Agents entered Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, a suburb of Washington DC, shortly after 7am. The Associated Press reported that the search was linked to classified material, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The Guardian also confirmed the raid through a government source, while the New York Times and other outlets reported that the search warrant was issued to determine whether Bolton had improperly shared or possessed restricted information.
Bolton, 76, was not at home at the time of the raid, The Washington Post reported. Later in the morning, he was seen at his Washington office speaking with agents wearing FBI vests.
His wife, Gretchen Bolton, was observed leaving their home while investigators remained on site, according to AFP.
The FBI director, Kash Patel, posted a message on X following the raid, writing: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.”
NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 22, 2025
US Attorney General Pam Bondi later added that “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
US President Donald Trump, asked about the raid during a visit to the Kennedy Center in Washington, said he had no prior knowledge of the operation.
“I saw it on television this morning,” he told reporters. “I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real sort of a lowlife… not a smart guy. But he could be very unpatriotic. I’m going to find out.”
Trump’s vice-president, JD Vance, reposted Patel’s message on X, while FBI deputy director Dan Bongino commented: “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”
Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, served as Trump’s national security adviser for 17 months before being ousted in 2019 after repeated clashes with the president over Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea.
His memoir, The Room Where It Happened, published in 2020 despite the Trump administration’s legal attempts to block it, painted a deeply critical picture of his former boss. A lawsuit accusing Bolton of misusing classified information was dropped when Joe Biden took office.
Bolton has since become a prominent critic of Trump, calling him “unfit to be president” and frequently appearing in the media to challenge his policies.
In recent days, he criticised Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming President Vladimir Putin had successfully influenced the US President.
The FBI has not disclosed the specific allegations underlying Friday’s search, and Bolton has not been charged with any crime.
