The Washington Post reports.
২২ আগস্ট, ২০২৫
"FBI agents on Friday searched the Maryland home of former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton..."
"... as part of an investigation of whether he illegally possessed or shared classified information, according to two people familiar with the matter.... A blogger was also live-streaming the scene of cars with lights flashing outside the home...."
The Washington Post reports.
The Washington Post reports.
পোস্টগুলি
১৫২টি মন্তব্য:
I think this is wonderful Bolton has been a big pain in the a** as well as being generally incompetent. Bolton is one of those guys who knows better how to do anything than the guy actually responsible yet never takes any responsibility himself. There are any number in government - or hanging round the fringes - who deserve the same treatment.
The real cheat code for any president will be putting DC Criminals in jail.
Bolton makes his money now selling access to classified material. That is espionage. This is the cottage industry of DC.
Throw them all in jail.
Bolton is everything that’s wrong with Washington. I have little sympathy for him.
Bolton represents a generation of foreign policy wonks imbedded like the Lone Star Tick deep in the county's security apparatus who never evolved past the Cold War. It's more than distrust, they have a deeply anachronistic hate for Russia. It's always Russia Russia Russia when it should've been China China China.
This country has wasted significant policy and material resources on that generation's (and Europe's) favorite whipping horse while ignoring America's true 21st century peer adversary.
Bolton and his ilk have done a lot of damage.
Sounds like a new business opportunity for him to expand his client base to CNN and the rest as a Trump victim.
The FBI raid to find out if Bolton is leaking secrets is over the top. It was an outrage when Team Biden did it to Trump and it's wrong when Trump does it to Bolton.
I said yes revenge is an issue because I don't think Trump would have done it if Garland hadn't done it first.
I voted no. Personally think it was for revenge AND to intimidate critics, shoving the jackboot harder on our necks.
If Bolton violated security requirements he should be prosecuted. I doubt we'll see that happen, this was for effect.
Happy FAFO Friday!
It's got that tinge of "por encourage les autres," for sure.
I think this is wonderful Bolton has been a big pain in the a** as well as being generally incompetent. Bolton is one of those guys who knows better how to do anything than the guy actually responsible yet never takes any responsibility himself. There are any number in government - or hanging round the fringes - who deserve the same treatment.
Well, I agree with almost everything you have said about John Bolton. But last time I checked being an arrogant ass is not a criminal offense.
It is amazing (actually not, it was entirely predictable) that when Trump gins up crimes after years of bitching about "lawfare", you all are apparently all in on prosecuting Trump's enemies on the flimsiest evidence.
Tit for tat is everywhere these days.
I said yes revenge is an issue because I don't think Trump would have done it if Garland hadn't done it first.
Oooh, the bad Democrats made me do it!
Pathetic.
It was an outrage when Team Biden did it to Trump and it's wrong when Trump does it to Bolton.
IF it was simply Trump they did it I might agree. But not now. Not after how they did Navarro and Bannon and all the J6ers who simply walked through open doors and walked back out, which was 90% of the people charged. THIS raid was not "hot" like Mar-A-Lago, where they went if armed without warning Trump's SS detail. That was evil. Do you know how many doors Biden's storm troopers knocked down to get old ladies and innocent tourists?
This incident is just SOP how most DOJ raids are conducted, for the safety of ALL involved.
"Tit for tat is everywhere these days."
Does Sydney Sweeney have tats? Please God, no...
Man named Fredo dislikes new rules he supported. News after weather, then sports.
With the new rules written by the democrats, turn about is fair play, so. Were it revenge, the raid would have taken place at 0 dark 30, and the location would have been crawling with people in full tactical gear, and finally, Bolton would have been drug out of the house in his sleep wear. None of that happened. It can be argued if it should, but it did not. So, not revenge.
Illegal behavior is illegal behavior.
No Republican is above the law. (They forgot the - except those that hate Trump).
Seldom has revenge been more earned.
Freder Frederson said...
I said yes revenge is an issue because I don't think Trump would have done it if Garland hadn't done it first.
Oooh, the bad Democrats made me do it!
So it's ok when Democrats do it? It's only wrong when Republicans do it?
I know you're Freder and therefore not in the habit of answering questions about your incoherent posts, but seriously, what is you point here?
It was an outrage when Team Biden did it to Trump and it's wrong when Trump does it to Bolton.
Apples and oranges.
Bolton isn't a former President, who has the power to declassify, nor is he a candidate for office.
We don't know what they have on Bolton yet to justify the raid. Maybe there is legit evidence of egregious violations of the law. Maybe it's revenge. Maybe it's both.
Vengeance is mine, saith the lord!
Hell fucking yeah.
"Trump gins up crimes ...". Gins up? I'm sure you have evidence of that..... boy, sometimes I crack myself up. In this particular instance the left can, of course, NOT stand to wait for evidence. After all..... TRUMP!!!!!!
According to my sources, when they raided Mar-A-Lago, FBI agents drew straws for who got to search Melania's underwear drawer.
When they raided Bolton, FBI agents drew straws for who had to search Bolton's wife's underwear drawer.
And then there was some confusion over which underwear drawer was Bolton's and which was his wife's. Turned out the drawer with the really sexy stuff was John's.
"Tit for tat is everywhere these days."
View 1:
“This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.” (Red October.)
View 2:
In the absence of consequences good behavior disappears, do unto others as they do unto you.
The poll needs another choice: No. Retribution is not Revenge.
There's a difference between making someone pay a proportionate penalty for his crimes (retribution) and the kind of revenge we see in Elizabethan tragedy and Third World politics, where you wipe out your enemy's entire family including first and second cousins, and all his friends and business associates as well.
The only people I've seen doing anything like that in the U.S. today - punishing innocent third parties - are Democrats, locking up old ladies who walked into the Capitol on January 6th when the guards invited them to, or prosecuting Gen. Flynn's son to force him to plea bargain. I'm sure others can think of similar examples.
I guess the thinking is that only the first use of the law is justified, everything after that is "revenge", so do your lawfare first.
And what is all prosecution and punishment if not revenge for wrongs committed?
I used to think that Trump should take the high road and not stoop to his enemies tactics. But now I agree with others that he MUST seek revenge, if only to discourage future bad behavior by Democrats. To be a deterrent Trump needs to go extremely hard against these assholes, especially that weasel Schiff. That retard Schiff needs to see the inside of a prison cell and become intimate with his prison colleagues.
1. The link provided is to the WaPo and not to the NYT.
2. So I read the story in the NYPost:
https://nypost.com/2025/08/22/us-news/patels-fbi-raids-john-boltons-home-in-high-profile-national-security-probe/
3. This is my question: In the photo of Bolton’s house (in the NYPost), half the trees have no leaves. Are the trees dead? Is this early fall? What the heck?
Leftists getting all wee-weed up because Trump is playing by the rules the left wrote? Who could have ever seen *that* coming?
Tit for tat is good for tariff negotiations, but…in Bolton’s case ‘revenge’ implies an egalitarian measure to the action of raiding his home. Democrats did it to their political enemies, who were guilty of nothing but no matter. Creating an aura of criminality was the goal. Here Bolton is suspected of real live actual crimes. Go for the bothsidesism at your own peril. You too will be judged…
Bolton was being investigated at the end of Trump’s first term. The Bribe’em DOJ shut it down. Voy La…. Trump wins, Bolton loses.
“No. You should presume that those in authority are acting for legitimate reason.”
That’s Norm Macdonald ideal joke. He said the perfect joke is when the setup is exactly the same as the punchline.
Is it any wonder they hired a Blackrock Ad paid patsy, to kill Trump in Butler, PA?
After paid patsy failed - they took him out and other than manufactured BS - we hear nothing from the Loyal Soviet-D press.
Bob Boyd said...We don't know what they have on Bolton yet to justify the raid. Maybe there is legit evidence of egregious violations of the law. Maybe it's revenge. Maybe it's both.
The "it" wasn't the raid itself, it was the pose of "exigent circumstances" -- going in with media-friendly sirens blaring.
…that reminds me, what happened to all the assassins? They were fast and furious there for a while…now nothin’. Did they all grow to love Trump or something?
The DC Establishment makes money selling security bits and bites after a few years in power. It's bad for the country and the abuses are getting worse and worse. The Dems do it the most. So Trump can work to end security leaks and the results will be more constructive than revenge but ... coff, coff ... there might be a leak, as it were, over into a Revenge Room situation.
And so also, it would be good idea to start the anti-leak campaign by showing that Republicans are not exempt and so starting with John Bolton shows the pure as driven snow intent of the anti-leak initiative. ... coff, coff.
In short, don't overlook the fact that security leaks like Secretary of State Clinton's leaky server are a mortal danger just because you know you are primarily thinking that perhaps Ms. Weasel is finally about to be trapped.
A third person familiar with the matter had no comment.
I know his music is kinda cheesy, but this really is an overreaction.
RR
JSM
Can we just declassify 95% of everything?
The only reason everything is classified is
1. To get around FOIA
2. Increase the desirability of hiring former govt officials because they have access to classified info.
"...But last time I checked being an arrogant ass is not a criminal offense......"
Oh, really? When was the last time you checked, then? Because in this modern age, these cases all depend upon how the appeals court treats the conviction, doesn't it? You know, like in cases where the court becomes involved with business loan deals that were concluded long ago to the complete satisfaction of both parties - for instance. And I don't recall hearing you condemn prosecutions-without-pretext in real time - during the Mar A Lago panty raid, for instance.
So it would appear you are biased, and fully endorse the lawfare tactics when it's against the guy you think is an 'arrogant asshole' Republican. Don't be too worried about being a complete piece of sh*t though - you've got plenty of company to help salve your conscience.
Personally I remember when John Bolton was an asset making life miserable for the Iranians and Iraqis who were up to no good.
when did the FBI's investigation into John Bolton begin?
what President put it on (semi-)permanent hold?
WHO is Above the LAW?
They’ll have to complete the investigation before I can determine if it was inappropriate or not.
I guess the thinking is that only the first use of the law is justified, everything after that is "revenge", so do your lawfare first.
And what is all prosecution and punishment if not revenge for wrongs committed?
Cool, so Trump just has to come up with something so outrageous it can only be considered breaking new ground. I like it. Gonna be hard to top what democrats have done to him but I think he's up to the challenge. I really do.
Bolton appears to have traded on his past glory with the leftmedia. Likely they assume he knows stuff he shouldn’t be sharing. People with security clearances have been sabotaging Trump for years by leaking information and lying. It is time for it to stop.
Does everyone who had a security clearance take home a few souvenirs over the years?
Be sure to check under the mustache.
I looked up some of the 37 who lost their security clearances last week. There wasn't overlap with the 51 former "intelligence operatives" who signed the Hunter laptop letter. The 51s have probably already lost their clearances.
The 37ers that I looked up seemed to be a mix of former Biden folk with academics and foundation executives. It's easy to go from one of those categories to another, but are they the same? Do the individuals have the same level of culpability or pose the same danger to the nation?
Republicans are now playing the game by the rules the democrats put into place so now the democrats want to go back to the old rules, or something.
“ Comey admitted during his June 2017 Senate Intelligence Committee testimony that he instructed Richman to share the contents of confidential Memo 2 with the press to “prompt the appointment of a special counsel” to oversee the Russia investigation, believing it was in the public interest “ Grok.
Some people are above the law, and it needs to stop.
Of course it seems to be turning out that, while Trump was prosecuted for imaginary or ginned-up things that weren't illegal, many of his tormentors were actually up to things that actually are illegal, so...... carry on. Isn't that what our system of Justice is actually for? Why wouldn't these things be subject to investigation and, potentially, prosecution?
No one can take accusations from the White House, Trump, or members of congress from either party seriously. If Eisenhower or Rayburn had accused anyone of treason it would probably have been true.
The cabinet is now filled with media hacks.
In June 2023 John Bolton went on MSNBC and said he’s “pretty confident” that allegations that Trump mishandled classified documents are true because he’s witnessed it firsthand.
There’s utterly no excuse for that. There’s no conceivable reason for that, except it made him feel good to be able to do it,” he said. “That’s one example, but it’s typical of the mindset, in my view.”
Bolton called the allegations “serious” because they place sensitive information at risk “making it more likely that a foreign adversary could get their hands on it.”
“That’s why the criminal statutes are written the way they are, for very prudent reasons,” Bolton said.
No reason for anyone to retain a security clearance once they have left their government position. Currently it’s just another corrupt money making grift for former government employees.
So, I assume given Bolten's attitude, he's squeaky clean and has zero classified documents in his house. Because, otherwise....no one's above the law.
I love how leftists and democrats think. And everyone lets them get away with it.
Democrats investigate Trump - "No big whoop. No one's above above the law"
Trump investigates the Democrats - "This is an outrage! Its revenge and an abuse of power!"
Another name for "Tit for Tat" is holding everyone to the same standard. If the R's didn't "Tit" then it would just constant Democrat "Tat" "Tat" "tat".
"Tit for tat is everywhere these days."
Isn’t that the truth? Tit for tat is everywhere these days. I wonder what it’ll look like when the pendulum swings the other way. Our pendulum seems to be situated between two bodies of alternatively increasing mass. From the middle, all you can do is duck.
Eva Marie said, "Can we just declassify 95% of everything?
The only reason everything is classified is
1. To get around FOIA
2. Increase the desirability of hiring former govt officials because they have access to classified info."
If you spoke with most people who have or had a TS clearance, they will tell you overclassification is a real problem. OCA/ADDs have always been conservative in the interpretation and tend to default on the side of excessive caution. This isn't always a bad thing where some subjects are concerned, but the last 30 years have shown an increasing tendency towards the Soviet model where every damn thing is a military secret.
This isn't Russia. The American people run this country and have a right to lots of information that is classified for political reasons, not security reasons.
How far he has fallen, having once been President of Redeye.
We didn't ask for, and didn't want the new rules, but the left insisted. Now it's time for them to experience them good and hard. Bolton is a good start.
Interesting that the warrant issued from the District of Maryland. This jury pool is a bit more ideologically diverse than DDC. Could have some blue collar ruburban MAGA people, and working Latinos. Plus of course Mont’y County fed employees.
And Bolton himself kind of sits on a fence. Do lefties convict him because of his neoconerie for W? Or do they acquit just to screw with Trump? Do the MAGAs convict him because that’s what Trump wants, or acquit because he’s an R? Do we anticipate clemency from Trump at the end, so the process is just performative?
The jury may just have to rely on the law and facts - what a concept!
RR
JSM
I told you about the walrus and me, man
Ya know we were as close as can be, man
Well, here's another clue for yohans
The walrus was John
The goose gets the same as the gander
The taste is real sweet, in all candor
Looking at a dish best served cold
h/t Lennon/McCartney
There aren’t any new rules.
Bolton was breaking old rules. He was selling access to classified information he had access to because of his security clearance. Everyone in DC does this.
They all belong in jail.
john mosby said...
Interesting that the warrant issued from the District of Maryland. This jury pool is a bit more ideologically diverse than DDC. Could have some blue collar ruburban MAGA people, and working Latinos. Plus of course Mont’y County fed employees.
The real problem is that in DC out of 12 jurors and X alternates at least 5 people were also selling access to classified information to “lobbyists” registered with FARA.
"A blogger was also live-streaming the scene of cars with lights flashing outside the home...."
Had this happened when Bolton worked for Trump, CNN et al
would have been there with klieg lights and multiple cameras.
No one is above law, right?
Perhaps you start with a Republican and get revenge as well as the ability to tell the general public that you do it to both sides when this is done to Brennan et al. The general public doesn’t know (nor do they care) about who John Bolton is and his Trump animus. (Bolton always thinks that he is the smartest man in the room. Sort of weird for a guy who has been wrong many times. A pity really because his input could be helpful but he wasn’t able to deal with the fact that he wasn’t president.)
One of the problems I have with cases involving classified information is how differently people are treated when there’s spillage. At any level, you shouldn’t even hint at having access — the rules are supposed to be ironclad. But in practice, a junior analyst will lose their career and will get put away, while someone at the top walks with a fine or probation. The highest-level person I could find who actually went to prison for this was a GS-12 analyst back in 1985. Meanwhile, a National Security Adviser literally stuffed classified documents into his socks and only got probation.
EdwdLny said ...
"...Were it revenge, the raid would have taken place at 0 dark 30, and the location would have been crawling with people in full tactical gear, and finally, Bolton would have been drug out of the house in his sleep wear."
Or, like the lesbian couple in the Scott Walker/John Doe raid, hauled out of bed and forced to wrap up in bed sheets while agents tore through their house looking for the super double secret server .
john mosby said..
"And Bolton himself kind of sits on a fence. Do lefties convict him because of his neoconerie for W? Or do they acquit just to screw with Trump? Do the MAGAs convict him because that’s what Trump wants, or acquit because he’s an R?"
i THINK, the new divide is no longer, left/right or rep/dem,
the New Divide is: INSIDERS/outsiders.
INSIDERS are dems RINOS newcons the RAYTHEON Corp. etc.
outsiders are The Rest of US.
are YOU in favor of Zelenskyy? you're an INSIDER
are YOU in favor of LGBTQI2S+? INSIDER
in favor of Open Borders and H1B visas? INSIDER
in favor of selling Classified Information to the Chinese? INSIDER
think that the EU should decide what happens in Gaza? INSIDER
opposed to those things? you are the rest of US, and a THREAT
Use the Cruel Neutrality tag
full disclosure: did gilbar Ever work for RAYTHEON?
well, now that you mention it.. He SURE DID!
bonus round: can ANY of you guess WHICH subsidiary of RAYTHEON did gilbar work for? Hint: Brrrr!
9:02
"Does Sydney Sweeney have tats? Please God, no."
There's only one way to find out. Please God, yes.
It may be coincidental that Bolton’s home was searched on the same day some Epstein files were scheduled for release to Congress. That said — The Feds apparently got a search warrant. That means they submitted a sworn affidavit that satisfied a US magistrate judge that there was probable cause to believe that there was evidence of a federal crime at Bolton’s home.
"Revenge" is not the right word. It's tit-for-tat in the game theory sense, not in the ordinary sense.
Bolton is accused of leaking classified documents to the media. However, Trump himself was indicted on charges related to his retention of classified government records, but that case was dropped when he was elected president. So at least one person here is above the law.
Around the time of the raid on Bolton’s home, Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, posted on X: “NO ONE is above the law . . . @FBI agents on mission.”
Supreme irony.
I vacillated between the 2nd Yes and the1st No. I wound going with the 2nd Yes. Though I think it is more likely that Trump is applying a tit for tat strategy to give a strong emotional reminder broadly to the Left as to why there need to be some norms. The Democrat politicians by and large will use whatever tactic they can get away with. And what they can get away in any individual instance is largely controlled by what their own base will accept. Trump needs to give a reminder to the Left's base that carries emotional weight and therefore will stick in their memory so that the next time the D's get an opportunity to finesse something they shouldn't enough of their base pushes back saying "Hey don't do this it will wind up screwing us later." We would be in a completely different landscape if Harry Reid did not get rid of the Judicial Filibuster in the Senate in the 2015-2016 term. Mitch McConnel even warned him.
suck it, kak.
Kakistocracy said... at least one person here is above the law.
While president, Trump had unfettered authority to declassify anything he wanted by any means he wanted (unfettered means without limit). The case against him was a non-starter because it would have been impossible to prove the documents he held were classified.
Neither Biden nor Bolton can make any such claim as neither was president during the key time period.
There's a good chance that Bolton had not fully purged his home and office of all classified materials.
This means that there is a good chance that Bolton will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Will he have to shave his mustache in prison?
Tit for tat. Is that tattoo lingo?
President Trump said he was not aware of the raid ahead of time and said he found out about it on the news. Aside from TDS is there any reason to believe he is lying?
I thought the question, Anne, was how you should present this subject to us your readers.
My answer to how Bolton is being treated is; " No one is Above the law." This is the standard by which we live. Or does this standard only apply to Republicans?
It seems so, doesn't it?
Dave Begley said, "Will he have to shave his mustache in prison?"
Prisoner Bolton. You're gonna PCS that flavor-saver or we're gonna do it fer ya!
Whether Bolten "sits on the fence" depends on the fence. He doesnt "Sit on the fence" when it comes to Trump. He's been attacking Trump - to the applause of the far-left MSM and Democrats - since he was fired.
The real puzzler is why Bolten was ever hired in the first place. Trump said he wanted someone to play "Bad Cop". Bolten was such a crazed warmongering wackobird that other countries would think "Wow, we'd better take Trump's reasonable offer, otherwise...Bolten".
Anyway Bolten has never defended Trump in any real way, and has attacked him more or less constantly since he was fired. He's not on the Fence, he's anti-Trump.
His mustache will get its own cell. Its that big.
tim maguire said...
Kakistocracy said... at least one person here is above the law.
While president, Trump had unfettered authority to declassify anything he wanted by any means he wanted (unfettered means without limit). The case against him was a non-starter because it would have been impossible to prove the documents he held were classified.
I wonder how many times that true statement is going to have to be repeated before liberals/Democrats /TDS sufferers get it through their thick heads that the raid was completely and totally illegal and without any legitimate justification. Those of us with a security clearance who don't suffer from TDS understand that.
Bolton was under investigation prior Biden's administration. Grand Jury was hearing evidence when Biden's handlers pulled the plug.
Poor Kakabich- show us on your Bolton Blow-Up Doll where the Bad Orange man touched you.
Yes. Because it is best served cold.
Roger Stone says "Cry me a river!"
Peachy said...
Is it any wonder they hired a Blackrock Ad paid patsy, to kill Trump in Butler, PA?
After paid patsy failed - they took him out and other than manufactured BS - we hear nothing from the Loyal Soviet-D press.
************
Are you implying "they" *wouldn't have* "taken out" that sniper if he had succeeded?
Just what's your point here?
Meanwhile, a National Security Adviser literally stuffed classified documents into his socks and only got probation.
Former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger took (at least) four classified documents from the National Archives — which is illegal even if the document in question had been unclassified and thoroughly mundane. He was the NSA under Bill Clinton and since he was known to be reviewing documents following 9/11 that related to the Clinton administration’s posture towards Arab terrorist organizations, it is widely assumed to be covering his own and Bill Clinton’s backsides.
He was only charged with a misdemeanor and suffered less than a wrist slap: two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, disbarment, no fine, and no jail time. If one is a well-connected Democrat the Party has your back.
“There's a good chance that Bolton had not fully purged his home and office of all classified materials.
This means that there is a good chance that Bolton will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Send him to GTMO !
Peachy said...
“Is it any wonder they hired a Blackrock Ad paid patsy, to kill Trump in Butler, PA?”
AI Overview
“Donald Trump's association with BlackRock is characterized by a long-standing personal relationship with CEO Larry Fink, a partnership in specific business deals, and political friction over BlackRock's investment policies.
Personal relationship and business history
Decades-long ties: Fink and Trump have known each other for decades, having started their careers as entrepreneurs in New York in the 1970s and 80s.
Financial management: BlackRock previously managed funds for the Trump Organization.
2016 transition and advisory: Following his 2016 election, Trump assembled a business forum to advise on economic issues, which included Fink.
Panama Canal deal (2025): In March 2025, Fink and BlackRock secured a major infrastructure deal to acquire ports on both sides of the Panama Canal, which Trump publicly hailed as "reclaiming" the canal for the U.S. from what he claimed, without evidence, was Chinese ownership. The deal was a major victory for Trump and helped repair the relationship with BlackRock after a period of conservative backlash.”
People who don't think revenge isn't (at least part of) a justified reason to do this are retarded.
Vault Dweller: " Trump needs to give a reminder to the Left's base that carries emotional weight "
I agree, but is Bolton that reminder? Will any blue-haired xer, or even a sharp-suited Clintonista, give a rat's ass what happens to an old Bushie warlord?
I can't really see them weeping for Bolton.
I guess there is the logic of "holy crap, if he does this to people in the wrong faction of his own party, what's he going to do to us!?"
The real deterrent will be if a Dem big beast gets the full Flynn or Libby treatment.
RR
JSM
BTW…
Where are the Epstein files? Isn’t today the day?
john bolton probably has some secure files he shouldn't have. The correct course of action is to ask for them. Second course is to serve a subpeona. Third course of action (which apparently is now the first course of action) is a tactical raid. Trump loves using the military, FBI and on his enemies, and MAGA loves it. Althouse falls in the category if "concern troll" where she knows what Trump is doing is a mob boss, but she has concerns about how the democrats did it worse, or concerns about how maybe Bolton deserved it. Serious concerns. You know better Ann.
Bolton should be familiar with the landscape.
After all, he curated it.
“We are investigating Amb. Bolton, but if they ultimately bring a case, it will be because they determine that he has broken the law. We’re going to be careful about that. We’re going to be deliberate about that, because we don’t think that we should throw people — even if they disagree with us politically, maybe especially if they disagree with us politically — you shouldn’t throw people willy-nilly in prison. You should let the law drive these determinations, and that’s what we’re doing.”
—-J.D. Vance
From what I’m gathering from the majority here, bullshit?
Just asking.
bonerici said...
"john bolton probably has some secure files he shouldn't have. The correct course of action is to ask for them."
This seems like a wonderful solution to the next bank robbery.
OK, I've read all the comments up to "bonerici" at 1:38 and didn't see any reference to Alinsky Rule 4. So, here it is, for those who can't recall:
“Make the enemy. live up to its own book of rules.”
"I agree, but is Bolton that reminder? Will any blue-haired xer, or even a sharp-suited Clintonista, give a rat's ass what happens to an old Bushie warlord?"
Bolten was all for prosecuting Trump. He's made it clear, that no one should mishandle classified documents. You don't let him off because the Left wont cry tears for him if he goes to jail. And in any case, The Never trumpers WILL cry tears.
No reason for anyone to retain a security clearance once they have left their government position. Currently it’s just another corrupt money making grift for former government employees.
Actually, yes there is. Sometimes you need their expertise and may wish to hire them as an outside consultant.
Actually, yes there is. Sometimes you need their expertise and may wish to hire them as an outside consultant.
So re-vet them and reinstate the clearance. No reason for continued clearance to be the default.
"So re-vet them and reinstate the clearance. No reason for continued clearance to be the default."
I've wondered about that myself. Since I retired, I've done several projects for my old employer. While I'm currently working on one for them, I have access to the company's network. When I'm finished, that access is removed. Is there a reason security clearances can't work the same way?
Bolton's op ed criticizing Trump for the Putin meeting was published in the WSJ on Monday, 8/18/25.
At this point it is only attempted revenge. Unless they got a search warrant for Bolton’s mustache, they probably won’t find what they are looking for.
Searching for mortgage loan irregularities among top secrets.
Next up, Vindman bros.
"Brylinski said...
Bolton's op ed criticizing Trump for the Putin meeting was published in the WSJ on Monday, 8/18/25."
Ah! Bolton must have been aware the raid was coming.
not "raid", search
“At this point it’s only attempted revenge”
He said without evidence.
It brings tears of joy to my eyes to see Inga, Ronald, Left Bank, and Bonerici crying about the injustice being done to John Bolton- people who couldn't be bothered even a little about the same actions being taken against Trump and many of his political allies. Payback is bitch, isn't it?
“It brings tears of joy to my eyes to see Inga, Ronald, Left Bank, and Bonerici crying about the injustice being done to John Bolton- people who couldn't be bothered even a little about the same actions being taken against Trump and many of his political allies. Payback is bitch, isn't it?”
Good imagination you have there YancyBoy, where do you see me crying about an injustice being done to John Bolton? As far as I know Bolton is rightfully being investigated.
“Everybody ought to just calm down, whether you’re pro-Trump or anti-Trump and let the process work its way through.” - John Bolton on the Mar a Lago raid.
The supreme Court has made it clear that the president is neither above the law or below the law rather the office is orthogonal to it. Geometry rules.
I have been wondering lately, given Inga's heartfelt defense of the endless wars, whether she was a John Bolton sock puppet.
My only concern is that this crime if indeed true may be an activity that everybody does and this action would be " like handing out speeding tickets at the Indianapolis 500 " (John Milius?)
“Inga's heartfelt defense of the endless wars…”
Maybe when Putin doesn’t invade any more sovereign nations. Maybe Europe will be the leaders the world needs now, it’s apparent Trump can’t meet the challenges because he’s too busy showing off signed pictures of himself and Putin. Trump said just today that he thinks that Ukraine and Russia may just have to keep fighting, he said he doesn’t know, he said he’ll know in “two weeks”, the famous two weeks.
As for Israel, there were hundreds of thousands Israelis in the streets demanding an end to the war. I’m with them.
it's curious how the law didn't seem to apply to Pence or Biden or a host of other figures, who didn't have classified or retention authority, funny how that works,
if I were cynical, I would suspect Bolton's involvement with Victor Pinchuk a favored oligarch tied to the Clinton foundation has something to do with the matter, maybe some quid pro quo, but I'm not a cynic,
among Bolton's other clever moves was a key stone coup in Venezuelan that pared a regime middleman with a retired General who had connections to the Sun Cartel
Trump had to spend political capital to finally resolve that matter, in the first months of his new term,
When I'm finished, that access is removed. Is there a reason security clearances can't work the same way?
The rules surrounding the granting of clearances give you reason. It’s a cumbersome process and having had a (high) clearance that needs to be reestablished does not mean your background investigation only goes back to when you had your last clearance, if your level says ten years then the investigation goes back ten years. You will need to fill out a new SF-86 (a pain in the ass) and investigated by the FBI, get fingerprinted, and (if your clearances are way up there) you will need to be polygraphed.
And doing all that takes a lot more than turning one’s access
https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1958909611592786038
if one is a party to fraud, like say a ICA that omits key facts that should void a security clearance,
Yes, Yancey, I’m crying over the injustice of John Bolton’s mustache.
"And doing all that takes a lot more than turning one’s access"
Thanks, that's why I asked.
Another stupid question, maybe, but if your prior clearance was good up until the day it was revoked, why would instituting it involve going back any further than that date as long as it wasn't revoked for some sort of misdeed? It's not like your past (back when you had clearance) could have changed in the meantime, is it?
FBI raids home of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton ~ WSJ
I respect it, they’re chasing every lead to find the Epstein Files
a security clearance really didn't grant him any great wisdom like when he speculated about the spurious Afghan bounties, and then after Abbey Gate was rather silent about a real terror attack,
Does everyone remember that a search of Mar-a-lago turned up many classified documents that Trump denied were there - but they were?
"Good for the goose" logic at play here. Bolton's book was published five years ago with Trump Administration approval. Then the book was checked out after publication but no charges were forthcoming. Now with the five year limitation for prosecution approaching, Kash Patel was ordered to get Bolton. What a fucking waste of time. Do they expect that Bolton really has incriminating documents in his house and office?
So the next three years will be spent on retaliatory investigations which can go norwhere. All DOJ operations will be given no other work. Several hundred folks have been targeted and special counsels, IRS auditors and FBI investigators will be everywhere chasing rainbows.
Meanwhile Ghislaine will be pardoned because that is the only way to keep her mouth shut unless she too dies in prison. Fifteen hundred convicted rioters have already been pardoned by our grifter in charge.
he probably could be a good walrius impersonator,
The reason, not the real reason but the stated reason, was that these National security clearances are renewed after they leave the Government because these are "Intelligence Giants" and "Wise men" who can be of service to those in power and give great advice.
You wanted Ike or Allen Dulles to be kept in the loop to give JFK/LBJ their advice. But now, we have scum like Brennan being appointed as CIA chiefs. Or clowns like Bolten.
Another stupid question, maybe, but if your prior clearance was good up until the day it was revoked, why would instituting it involve going back any further than that date as long as it wasn't revoked for some sort of misdeed? It's not like your past (back when you had clearance) could have changed in the meantime, is it?
There are a whole lot of caveats, but so long as your last investigation is in periodicity your clearance could be reissued. Depending on why it got yanked, you may have some paperwork to fill out.
Back to your first question, there is a difference between having a clearance and having access. You cannot have access without a clearance, you can have clearance without access. Before people can view classified material, it needs to be verified that they have the appropriate level clearance and that they have a need to know. Access is relatively easy to add and remove. Dealing with the clearance is what sucks.
Ann Althouse said...
“Tit for tat is everywhere these days.”
Sydney Sweeney vs Kat von D. The only question is mud or jello.
"There are a whole lot of caveats, but so long as your last investigation is in periodicity your clearance could be reissued. Depending on why it got yanked, you may have some paperwork to fill out."
What I was kind of getting at was a situation that is rather straightforward, with no weird wrinkles. Suppose Bob has worked his whole career, no problems of any significance. He retires, his clearance is revoked, and a year later something comes up where someone says "This would be right up Bob's alley, maybe we should get in touch?" Seems like this sort of thing shouldn't take long to sort out.
"Maybe when Putin doesn’t invade any more sovereign nations"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_interventions_by_the_United_States
When do countries start worrying when we move in next door? This doesn't even get to the matter of the number of Indian nations we wiped out because we wanted their land, and thought that we could use it better than they did.
You will have to think harder than that one to come up with a reason for us to get involved in a civil war on the other side of the planet. Look at Taiwan, for example. We got involved in China's civil war in order to split off Taiwan from the mainland, same deal as Russia in Ukraine. US guns were fired on behalf of the Chinese rebels, and the threat of US nukes was brandished, even if not explicitly, the fact of US nuclear supremacy was there. Eastern Ukraine had been fighting a civil war for ten years prior to the Russian intervention in the conflict, just like in China. What is the difference? Oh yeah, God is on our side, I keep forgetting.
During that civil war, the US. set up twelve CIA bases along Russia's border, and trained Ukrainian agents to infiltrate Russia and conduct assassinations there, this is before the Ukraine war started.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/cia-maintains-12-secret-bases-212250351.html
Sounds like the US was at war with Russia ever since the coup John McCain engineered. Yes, he was in Maidan Square with the protesters, calling for the overthrow of the democratically elected government there, which, apparently could not wait for the next election.
@Mason G., you don't get how a bureaucracy works, do you? Once your clearances lapse, you pretty much start over from scratch to get them reinstated.
"@Mason G., you don't get how a bureaucracy works, do you?"
That's why I asked. I wouldn't have if I knew the answer. I wasn't being snarky, I was hoping there might be more of an explanation than "Just because."
Watching the Dems defend Bolton will be like watching them trot out the Cheneys in support of their presidential candidate.
Big Mike,
With all due respect, in asking why it should be that way, aren't we already moving at least halfway from IS to OUGHT? Being told it's inherently and unavoidably bureaucratic doesn't really satisfy me at least.
ONLY Trump could make the left defend John Bolton!!! This is priceless.
Then they came for John Bolton.. and i didn't do anything,
because he was a criminal that was leaking classified docs
The FBI raid to find out if Bolton is leaking secrets is over the top. It was an outrage when Team Biden did it to Trump and it's wrong when Trump does it to Bolton.
I said yes revenge is an issue because I don't think Trump would have done it if Garland hadn't done it first.
Ditto. What's the motive here? To stop people writing books? This is an asshole arrest and an asshole prosecution. It's blatantly political and casts the FBI in disrepute, again. I thought one of the goals was to bring back respectability to federal law enforcement. FAIL. Massive fail. Integrity of the FBI hardest hit.
"I don't like the person getting arrested so he deserves it" is a shitty standard of law. It's the opposite of the rule of law.
"No one is above the law" = sketchy lawless shit happening right before your eyes. When Pam Bondi and Kash Patel are arrested, we'll hear the same shit.
Bolton as a person, is a symptom, not the disease. The disease is loudmouth dumbshits that inhabit the adminoshphere.
" This is an asshole arrest and an asshole prosecution."
John Bolton was arrested? When?
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন
Please use the comments forum to respond to the post. Don't fight with each other. Be substantive... or interesting... or funny. Comments should go up immediately... unless you're commenting on a post older than 2 days. Then you have to wait for us to moderate you through. It's also possible to get shunted into spam by the machine. We try to keep an eye on that and release the miscaught good stuff. We do delete some comments, but not for viewpoint... for bad faith.