The FBI raided the home of John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser and now one of his most outspoken critics, just a day after Bolton criticized Trump’s policies in an interview. In the discussion, Bolton described Trump as an “aberrational president” and condemned his decision to impose heavy tariffs on India, questioning the damage such moves caused to bilateral relations.
According to a source cited by AP, the raids were tied to an inquiry into the mishandling of classified documents. Despite the search, Bolton was neither arrested nor formally charged at this stage.
During the interview, Bolton reiterated his view of Trump as an “aberrational president” and strongly opposed his tariff measures. He also remarked that the relationship between Washington and New Delhi had deteriorated significantly, suggesting that ties were “in a very bad place.”
Bolton highlighted how Russia and China, despite being among the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, had not been hit with new sanctions. India, on the other hand, was singled out for penalties, which he saw as a troubling sign of selective targeting.
Trump had levied a 25% tariff on India, along with an additional 25% duty, because of its continued imports of Russian oil, which the US argues is funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Bolton emphasized that successive American administrations had long cultivated stronger ties with India as a counterbalance to China’s growing power in Asia. He warned, however, that Trump’s approach risked undoing that progress by pushing India closer to both Russia and China.
He concluded that isolating India as the only nation facing such punitive measures would inevitably create the perception that the US had abandoned New Delhi, raising concerns that India could drift further toward Russia and China.
