When federal agents raided the home and office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday as part of a classified documents investigation, some Democrats and liberal commentators framed the development as another example of what they claim is President Donald Trump\u2019s political weaponization of the justice system.<\/p>\n
The reaction marked a striking contrast with Democrats\u2019 long history of opposing Bolton. For years, they denounced him as a hardline foreign policy hawk who manipulated intelligence and pushed the U.S. into war. But when Bolton broke with Trump, Democrats began citing him as a key witness and relying on his public comments to bolster their case against the former president.<\/p>\n
Democrats first sought to block Bolton\u2019s 2005 nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. Then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., accused him of being untruthful in a Senate questionnaire, noting that he had been interviewed as part of a joint State Department and CIA investigation into Iraq\u2019s pursuit of nuclear materials from Niger.<\/p>\n
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., alleged that Bolton played a role in the disputed claim that Iraq had attempted to purchase yellowcake uranium \u2014 an accusation that appeared in Bush\u2019s 2003 State of the Union address but could not be confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
That same year, Carl W. Ford Jr., then head of intelligence at the State Department, described Bolton as a ‘serial abuser’ of power who pressured analysts to alter assessments. One analyst, Christian Westermann, reportedly resisted including claims of Cuban biological weapons in a 2002 speech Bolton wanted to deliver.<\/p>\n
Senate Democrats delayed Bolton\u2019s nomination for months, citing concerns that he sought to shape intelligence findings to fit administration policy goals.<\/p>\n
When Trump appointed Bolton as national security adviser in 2018, Democrats again criticized him, citing his past support for the Iraq War and his calls for a hardline approach towards Iran and North Korea.<\/p>\n
‘Bolton is a dangerous radical,’ said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., accused him of politicizing intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq conflict. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., argued Bolton had been consistently ‘wrong on security’ throughout his career.<\/p>\n
Trump himself later grew frustrated with Bolton\u2019s hawkish approach, including his opposition to peace talks with the Taliban and advocacy for military action in Iran. The two split in 2019, with Trump announcing Bolton\u2019s departure on social media and Bolton insisting he had already offered to resign.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Following Bolton\u2019s break with Trump, Democrats began highlighting him during Trump\u2019s first impeachment trial over Ukraine.<\/p>\n
‘There\u2019s no denying the central relevance of John Bolton\u2019s testimony,’ then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said as House impeachment managers pressed for him to appear.<\/p>\n
Bolton\u2019s memoir later claimed Trump sought to withhold military aid from Ukraine, a move Bolton privately described as a ‘drug deal.’ At the time, MSNBC commentators suggested his testimony could have been decisive in the outcome of the trial.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Bolton declined to testify, angering some Democrats who accused him of reserving details for his book rather than presenting them under oath.<\/p>\n
Since leaving the Trump administration, Bolton has become a regular guest on networks such as CNN and MSNBC, where he continues to weigh in on foreign policy and national security.<\/p>\n
Although many Democrats once opposed his nomination and criticized his record, they have at times pointed to his comments when they align with their critiques of Trump and other Republicans.<\/p>\n
The latest raid underscores how Bolton remains a polarizing figure \u2014 one Democrats long opposed but have also leaned on in moments when his testimony or commentary could be used against Trump.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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