The FBI has conducted a raid on the home of John Bolton, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump and now one of his harshest critics. This action followed a day after Bolton criticized Trump's policy regarding relations with India and his approach in imposing punitive tariffs.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the raid was connected to an investigation related to the management of confidential documents. However, John Bolton has neither been detained nor charged with any crime so far.
The Trump administration has so far not issued any official comment, although FBI Director Kash Patel posted a cryptic message stating, 'No one is above the law,' and confirmed that FBI agents are on a mission. This tweet came just after the start of the raid.
This raid comes at a time when Bolton, in an interview, described Trump as a 'capricious president' regarding his tariff policies, adding that U.S.-India relations are currently in a dire state.
In the interview, Bolton remarked that it seems no new sanctions have actually been imposed on Russia. There are also no sanctions on China, which remains the largest buyer of oil and gas from Russia. It's only India being targeted.
Initially, Trump had placed a 25% tariff on India. Furthermore, due to continued oil purchases from Russia, Trump further imposed an additional 25% tariff. The U.S. argues that this oil trade supports Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
John Bolton Expresses Concern
Previous U.S. administrations have worked on strengthening ties with India to balance China's influence in Asia. Bolton stated that Trump's tariff threats could push India closer to China and Russia. He warned that leaving India isolated and subjecting it to punitive actions sends a message that America has deserted India. He feared this might cause India to lean even more toward Russia and China.
