Victor Davis Hanson: What the Media Won’t Tell You About John Bolton FBI Raid

Aug 25, 2025

Dive into the intrigue surrounding the FBI raid on John Bolton's home, as Victor Davis Hanson sheds light on the political motives versus national security concerns. Discover how Bolton's past critiques of the Trump administration and his controversial book amplify the issues at stake. Unpack the duality of Bolton’s previous comments on classification and how they might reflect on his own situation now. This episode reveals the complex interplay between politics and legal frameworks in high-stakes scenarios.

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ANECDOTE

Bolton's Tell-All Memoir And Judge's Warning

John Bolton wrote a tell-all book after being fired, claiming he had been "in the room" and took prodigious notes.
A federal judge warned Bolton he was likely violating national security laws if he continued.

INSIGHT

Why The Earlier Probe Was Dropped

The Biden DOJ dropped the earlier investigation into Bolton months into the transition without explanation.
Hanson suggests political alignment with the left likely influenced that decision more than legal merits.

INSIGHT

Irony In Bolton's Past Criticism

Hanson highlights Bolton's prior commentary condemning the Mar-a-Lago raid, noting irony if Bolton now claims the same protections.
He frames Bolton's past criticism as potentially undermining his current objections.

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From Bolton’s role in the Trump administration to prior warnings from a federal judge about his handling of sensitive information and why the DOJ under Biden dropped its earlier investigation, Victor Davis Hanson unpacks the full backstory behind the raid on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“ When Donald Trump's home was raided on August 9th, 2022, John Bolton spoke out. And he said, ‘Let's not prejudge, you,’ basically, you pro-Trumpers, ‘let's just let all the evidence, you know, be seen before we make snap judgments.’ Meaning, you know, he's probably guilty. But more importantly, then he said, ‘Donald Trump was just—anything that came across his desk. He saw french fries, he got 'em. He saw classified documents, he did, just because he could.’ And then on another occasion, ‘He has no respect for classification. And that's a lie, that he personally classified these.’

So he was very critical of anybody who objected to what he thought was an FBI, legitimate raid on Mar-a-Lago. Now it's ironic. We'll see if he uses the same tropes and themes to protect himself in the way that he blasted Trump about a similar raid.”

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(0:00) FBI Raids John Bolton's Home

(1:56) Background on Bolton's Legal Issues

(2:54) Trump's DOJ vs. Bolton

(3:49) Current Investigation

(5:30) Legal and Political Implications

(9:02) Conclusion

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