President Donald Trump weighed in on the indictment of his former national security adviser, John Bolton, calling him a “bad guy” after learning about the charges from a reporter. Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump expressed surprise over the indictment, which had just been handed down by a federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser before being fired in September 2019, was indicted on 18 counts, including eight charges related to the transmission of national defense information and ten for the retention of such information. Prosecutors allege that while in office, Bolton shared over a thousand pages of sensitive material with two unauthorized individuals.
Trump, clearly caught off guard by the news, responded quickly: "I didn’t know that; you are telling me for the first time," he said. "But I think he’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy, yeah. He’s a bad guy. It’s too bad, but that’s the way it goes. That’s the way it goes, right? That’s the way it goes."
When asked if he had reviewed the case against Bolton, Trump said, “No, I haven’t, I haven’t. But I just think he’s a bad person.” These comments come after Bolton, a vocal critic of Trump since his ousting, has made headlines for his attacks on the former president's policies.
The indictment, which had been widely speculated about in the days leading up to it, follows FBI raids on Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington office in August. The raids were aimed at uncovering evidence tied to the alleged mishandling of highly sensitive national security information.
As the case moves forward, Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities on Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt. His case will be handled by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee. Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has firmly denied the charges, stating that his client “did not unlawfully share or store any information.”
Bolton’s indictment marks a significant moment in the ongoing scrutiny of national security leaks, and the Trump administration's response to those leaks. While Trump’s reaction was quick and direct, the legal process will now unfold, with Bolton facing serious allegations regarding national security and trust within the U.S. government.
In the meantime, Trump’s comments about Bolton being a “bad guy” serve as a reminder of the deep divisions that have persisted since Bolton’s departure from the administration. Regardless of the legal outcome, it’s clear that the fallout between the two men is far from over—and for Trump, this is just another chapter in a long history of conflicts with former allies.
