SAEDNEWS: Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton expressed concern over the cancellation of his Secret Service protection and an FBI raid on his home and office, accusing Trump of disorder and possible retaliation.
John Bolton, a staunch critic of former U.S. President Donald Trump who served as National Security Advisor during Trump’s first term, expressed concern over the cancellation of his Secret Service protection and condemned last week’s raid on his home and office.
Speaking during an online session focused on Trump’s meeting with South Korea’s leader, Bolton said when asked whether he feels safe, that he had previously been targeted by an alleged Iranian assassination attempt, an accusation Iran has repeatedly denied.
“On Inauguration Day, President Trump canceled my Secret Service protection. Yes, that worries me more than anything else. But, you know, this is the environment we operate in; you either submit or continue. I intend to continue,” Bolton stated.
Previously, Bolton had criticized Trump on X social media regarding the raid on his home, saying: “Trump’s policy on Ukraine today is as disorganized and chaotic as it was last Friday when his administration executed a search of my home and office. Trump’s negotiations (regarding Ukraine), along with his Nobel Peace Prize campaign, are collapsing amid confusion and haste, likely taking their last breaths.”
FBI agents searched Bolton’s Maryland home last Friday as part of a national security investigation into the potential criminal disclosure of classified information. A similar search was conducted at his Washington, D.C. office.
Bolton served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor in Trump’s first term but has since called Trump unfit for the presidency.
During his campaign, Trump promised to use the judicial system against his political opponents. Since returning to power, his administration has arrested a Democratic mayor in New Jersey, filed criminal charges against a Democratic congressman, and launched federal investigations into a Democratic senator, a state attorney general, and this week a Federal Reserve member.
Trump claimed Monday that he had no involvement in Bolton’s case, stating he only learned of the raid from television and added, “I’m not a fan of John Bolton… He can be very unpatriotic. We’ll see.” Some media outlets reported Bolton may be a target of Trump’s retaliation.
The U.S. Department of Justice during Trump’s first term sued Bolton, initiating a criminal investigation over the alleged disclosure of classified information in his 2020 book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, which presented a critical account of Trump’s first term. Bolton denied these allegations and accused White House officials of acting illegally to prevent the publication of his critical narrative.
Secret Service protection for Bolton was initially granted after the DOJ claimed without evidence that Iran had threatened his life. At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the claim as baseless, stating: “U.S. judicial authorities, continuing their endless allegations against Iran and failed Iran-phobia policies, have fabricated claims without credible evidence or documentation.”
