FBI searching John Bolton’s house over security concerns

Agents from the FBI on Friday morning appeared to be searching the Bethesda, Md., home of former National Security Administration director John Bolton, according to reports from the New York Post, the Associated Press, and CNN that cited an unnamed U.S. official. Agents began the search at 7 a.m. as part of a national security probe, according to the Post. Bolton worked for Trump’s first administration, but has been critical of him since that time. He also served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush in a variety of roles.

President Trump told reporters on Friday that he didn’t know about the search until that morning. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and others involved should do what they needed to do, he said. He also said he didn’t like John Bolton. The White House had not responded to WORLD’s request for a comment by Friday morning.

What is on the record about the search or investigation? The FBI had not publicly confirmed the reports by Friday morning, but agency head Kash Patel posted that no one was above the law and that agents were on a mission. Deputy director Dan Bongino responded to Patel’s post, saying that public corruption wouldn’t be tolerated. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also responded to the post and said America’s safety wasn’t negotiable. 

A video taken by Lawfare’s Benjamin Wittes on Friday morning also appeared to show local police assisting the FBI in blocking off the road outside Bolton’s home.

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