How did Bolton get there: How the Trump-Bolton relationship devolved into chaos and an FBI raid Aug 22, 2025 - Herb Scribner [...] November 2018: Bolton's ally ousted Bolton's ally and deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel was forced out of her position after Melania Trump's office called for her ouster following an alleged clash between the two. [...] Summer 2019: Bolton's resistance to Trump
Public comments about North Korea in May 2019 appeared to show some disconnect between Trump and Bolton.
* According to the AP, Bolton suggested that a weapons test from North Korea violated U.N. Security Council resolutions. * Trump appeared to "undercut" Bolton by saying he wasn't upset over North Korea testing the weapons, according to the AP.
Trump and Bolton's relationship appeared to fracture more as Bolton showed resistance to peace talks with Afghanistan. Trump had teased at the time he would host the Taliban at Camp David as a part of the peace negotiations.
* Trump scrapped the idea but still secretly raged over the internal disagreement, Axios reported. * One source told Axios in 2019 that Bolton is "the dog who caught the car," and that his differing opinions on North Korea, Syria and his strong will did not sit well with Trump.
I think they hit Bolton first because they know many who don't vote GOP don't like him. Rick Wilson makes the point you may not like his policies but put that aside. It's the use of the Justice Department and the FBI as Trump's personal police force which is the real violation of American rule of law.