Washington, D.C. – FBI agents seized a stack of folders labeled “Trump I-IV” during a raid on the Maryland home of John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, on August 22, as part of an investigation into the potential unauthorized retention or removal of classified documents.
The search, which also targeted Bolton’s Washington, D.C., office, uncovered two computers, two mobile phones, a laptop, several digital storage drives, and a binder labeled “Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes,” according to court documents unsealed on September 4.
The probe, citing possible violations of the Espionage Act, has sparked debate over whether it reflects Trump’s retribution against a vocal critic or a continuation of an investigation begun under the Biden administration. No charges have been filed against Bolton, who has not commented directly on the raid but recently criticized Trump’s Ukraine policy as “incoherent.”
Details of the FBI Raid and Findings
On August 22, FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search of Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland, home, seizing multiple items listed in a Maryland district court search warrant inventory.
The recovered materials included typed documents in folders marked “Trump I-IV,” four boxes of printed daily activities, a white binder labeled “Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes,” two iPhones, a Dell Precision Tower computer, a Dell XPS laptop, a Dell Inspiron computer, a hard drive, and two USB drives.
The warrant cited potential violations of two statutes: the Espionage Act, which criminalizes unauthorized collection or sharing of national defense information, and a law prohibiting the removal and retention of classified materials.
The court documents, made public on September 4 after news organizations argued for their release due to “tremendous public interest,” indicate the investigation focuses on Bolton’s handling of classified information during his tenure as national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019.
The Justice Department has withheld the affidavit detailing evidence against Bolton, suggesting the probe is at a mature stage, as prosecutors needed probable cause to secure the warrants.
Origins and Context of the Investigation
Initial speculation, fueled by Bolton’s outspoken criticism of Trump, cast the raid as political retribution. Bolton, fired by Trump in September 2019 after clashes over Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea policies, published a 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which portrayed Trump as ill-informed.
The Justice Department previously investigated whether the book disclosed classified information, a probe that began under Trump in 2020 and continued into the Biden administration without charges, closing in June 2021.
Recent reports clarify the current investigation began under the Biden administration in 2024, predating Trump’s second term. A source familiar with the matter, cited by The Associated Press, confirmed the probe concerns potential mishandling of classified information unrelated to Trump’s direct influence.
However, Trump’s revocation of Bolton’s security clearance in January 2025, alongside those of 48 other former officials, and the cancellation of his security detail, heightened perceptions of personal animus.
Bolton’s Silence and Trump’s Parallel Case
Bolton has not publicly addressed the raid but wrote an op-ed in the Washington Examiner on August 25, 2025, criticizing Trump’s “incoherent” Ukraine policy, comparing it to the administration’s disarray during the raid.
His lawyer, in a September 4 statement to CNN, described the seized documents as “ordinary records of a 40-year career” at the State Department, Justice Department and as U.N. Ambassador and national security adviser, downplaying their sensitivity.
The raid draws parallels to Trump’s own legal troubles over classified documents. In August 2022, the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, recovering boxes of alleged state secrets stored in a bathroom and ballroom. Trump faced 40 felony charges in a 2023 indictment for mishandling classified materials, but the case was dismissed in July 2024 when a judge ruled the special counsel’s appointment unconstitutional.
Trump denied knowledge of the Bolton raid, stating on August 23, “I know nothing about it—I just saw it this morning that they did a raid,” while calling Bolton “not a smart guy” but “possibly very unpatriotic.”
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What People Are Saying
On X, reactions split along partisan lines. Supporters like @PatriotVoiceUSA hailed the raid as “holding traitors accountable,” while critics, including @BlueWave2026, called it “Trump’s revenge against a truth-teller,” with hashtags #BoltonRaid and #TrumpClassified trending. A YouGov poll from August shows 60% of Americans, including 35% of Republicans, view investigations of former officials as politically motivated, reflecting public skepticism.
Critics, like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), argued the raid risks “weaponizing the DOJ against Trump’s enemies,” per @NBCNews on X, while supporters, including @Maga4Trump, claimed Bolton’s memoir endangered national security. Bolton’s lawyer’s statement, minimizing the documents’ significance, has fueled debate over the probe’s legitimacy versus potential overreach.
Why It Matters
The raid coincides with Trump’s broader challenges, including a weak August jobs report (22,000 jobs added), health rumors sparked by a July chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis, and a September 6 “Department of WAR” post targeting Chicago.
The Epstein files controversy, with 30,000 pages released on September 2 but heavily redacted, adds pressure, as does Trump’s push to ban mail-in ballots. These issues amplify perceptions of an administration using distractions to deflect from policy struggles.
The Bolton investigation, rooted in Biden-era inquiries, tests the DOJ’s independence under Trump’s second term. The withheld affidavit and lack of charges keep the probe’s scope unclear, but the Espionage Act’s invocation signals serious allegations. Bolton’s prior clearance revocation and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago case draw comparisons, raising questions about selective enforcement.
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What Next?
The investigation into Bolton continues, as the unsealed documents and “Trump I-IV” folders will fuel speculation about their contents and the probe’s motives. With no charges filed, Bolton’s silence and the DOJ’s reticence leave room for political narratives to dominate, potentially influencing 2026 midterm dynamics.
The raid, set against Trump’s own legal history and ongoing controversies, shows tensions over classified information and executive power, shaping public discourse as voters weigh trust in institutions.
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