Tim Miller, JVL, Mona Charen and George Conway reacted live to the breaking news that John Bolton, former national security adviser, had his home raided by the FBI on August 22, 2025.
Ever since John Bolton was nominated for ambassador to UN the consensus was that he was highly intelligent and competent but a real jerk of a person. The recent article in the Atlantic echoes that opinion. I always found him to be a good interview but arrogant. He was a terrible fit in the Trump administration. Bolton knew who Trump was yet he was so desperate for one last opportunity in power he spent the first two years of Trump administration vigorously defending him on Fox. That’s why Trump hired him despite Bolton representing the Republican foreign policy establishment Trump ran against.
Although it’s hard to feel sorry for Bolton this raid is just retaliation and intimidation. A complete waste and abuse of government resources. Bolton is abrasive to put it mildly but he was known to be a stickler for rules and procedures. I have a hard time believing he would take classified documents.
I read his book. I know it didn’t contain classified information because I didn’t learn anything new except gossip about inter office rivalries. It was a typical memoir of any foreign office holder especially someone like Bolton. Basically Bolton was right about everything and how he saved the republic
When Bolton’s book came out I refused to read, let alone buy it, because he played cute with genuinely speaking out or providing testimony when it mattered, as a tease to promote sales. Now I feel I have to read the damn thing.
We should all turn the book into a meme stock and run Bolton to the top of the Times bestseller list. Act now while supplies last.
It's because the acts of corruption, authoritarianism and cruelty are so visible that close to half the country thinks it's normal. They are addicted to disbelieving their own eyes in favor of conspiracy theories that make things more interesting and allows them to feel they have this special ability to see below the surface. They also no longer have any use for due process and true deliberation, just bold steps to keep the 'bad' people in line.
I’ve got to say it’s like watching a car crash from my pedestal in Vancouver Canada. It’s all so dispiriting and scary to see what is happening down south. Love the USA so much but it’s hard to believe what is happening there. Thanks to the Bulwark for doing all you do to stand up to liberalism down south. Sure hope the poison doesn’t leach north but maybe?
I'm 100 percent with Mona when she says that this is a "gangster government" and that there should be a large protest outside DOJ's offices in DC in response to this.
For the life of me I cannot understand why Americans seem so indifferent to the extreme peril that our democracy is in, as more and more evidence piles up every day. It is so plain now that Trump and his minions will continue to corrupt all our institutions, build their ICE gestapo, and intimidate and extinguish all forms of resistance unless the populace rises up visibly and loudly - in massive numbers - to demonstrate that we will not accept what is being done. And it better happen pretty soon, or it will be too late.
BTW, Bolton's book does not contain anything that could even remotely be considered classified information. I bought and read a copy when it was first published and it's basically the same kind of Washington DC "inside baseball" memoir that hundreds of former DC bigwigs have written over the years. The fact that it makes Trump look like the fool that he is, is what enrages him.
More flooding the zone. Release the hounds. "Look at the bad, bad people." Intimation. They tried 3 times before. Failed 3 times. This crap will continue. He must have a dart board of names. Throw a dart. New indictment.
What a state of the world, when I hear from George Conway that he's begun carrying his passport card around. I thought I was being paranoid when I started doing that a few months ago.
did any 1 else smile at a MSM video seen on TV 'news' =
re DT wearing a huge red cap- MAGA styled....but embroidered in big huge letters: Trump is Right about everything
he does say it as he -wishes it to be- hope-think-want-showing off
very funny unless everybody agrees that caps-fashion leads this whole nation.
gotta smile and observe it all.
Ever since John Bolton was nominated for ambassador to UN the consensus was that he was highly intelligent and competent but a real jerk of a person. The recent article in the Atlantic echoes that opinion. I always found him to be a good interview but arrogant. He was a terrible fit in the Trump administration. Bolton knew who Trump was yet he was so desperate for one last opportunity in power he spent the first two years of Trump administration vigorously defending him on Fox. That’s why Trump hired him despite Bolton representing the Republican foreign policy establishment Trump ran against.
Although it’s hard to feel sorry for Bolton this raid is just retaliation and intimidation. A complete waste and abuse of government resources. Bolton is abrasive to put it mildly but he was known to be a stickler for rules and procedures. I have a hard time believing he would take classified documents.
I read his book. I know it didn’t contain classified information because I didn’t learn anything new except gossip about inter office rivalries. It was a typical memoir of any foreign office holder especially someone like Bolton. Basically Bolton was right about everything and how he saved the republic
When Bolton’s book came out I refused to read, let alone buy it, because he played cute with genuinely speaking out or providing testimony when it mattered, as a tease to promote sales. Now I feel I have to read the damn thing.
We should all turn the book into a meme stock and run Bolton to the top of the Times bestseller list. Act now while supplies last.
It's because the acts of corruption, authoritarianism and cruelty are so visible that close to half the country thinks it's normal. They are addicted to disbelieving their own eyes in favor of conspiracy theories that make things more interesting and allows them to feel they have this special ability to see below the surface. They also no longer have any use for due process and true deliberation, just bold steps to keep the 'bad' people in line.
I’ve got to say it’s like watching a car crash from my pedestal in Vancouver Canada. It’s all so dispiriting and scary to see what is happening down south. Love the USA so much but it’s hard to believe what is happening there. Thanks to the Bulwark for doing all you do to stand up to liberalism down south. Sure hope the poison doesn’t leach north but maybe?
Great job Bulwark ! It would be fascinating if it wasn’t so scary. We are governed by thugs.
bolton is a smart guy but so cynical that he dismisses most everything non-kinetic. Ido hope that this lights a fire underneath other R's
EVERYBODY PLEASE GIVE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER:
I can't remember where I got this link, almost certainly from Bulwark comments, but probably buried now.
READ THIS: "I researched every attempt to stop fascism in history." https://substack.com/home/post/p-170847027
JVL JVL JVL PLEASE WRITE A TRIAD ABOUT THIS.
WE CAN'T KEEP THINKING LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.
Did those boxes go into the house empty 🤔?
I'm 100 percent with Mona when she says that this is a "gangster government" and that there should be a large protest outside DOJ's offices in DC in response to this.
For the life of me I cannot understand why Americans seem so indifferent to the extreme peril that our democracy is in, as more and more evidence piles up every day. It is so plain now that Trump and his minions will continue to corrupt all our institutions, build their ICE gestapo, and intimidate and extinguish all forms of resistance unless the populace rises up visibly and loudly - in massive numbers - to demonstrate that we will not accept what is being done. And it better happen pretty soon, or it will be too late.
BTW, Bolton's book does not contain anything that could even remotely be considered classified information. I bought and read a copy when it was first published and it's basically the same kind of Washington DC "inside baseball" memoir that hundreds of former DC bigwigs have written over the years. The fact that it makes Trump look like the fool that he is, is what enrages him.
They are turning opinions into crimes.
A way to exhaust the opposition financially with specious litigation.
More flooding the zone. Release the hounds. "Look at the bad, bad people." Intimation. They tried 3 times before. Failed 3 times. This crap will continue. He must have a dart board of names. Throw a dart. New indictment.
Bondi tRump whore.
What a state of the world, when I hear from George Conway that he's begun carrying his passport card around. I thought I was being paranoid when I started doing that a few months ago.
This made me so sad.
If they wanted to plant classified documents in Bolton's house, Trump has boxes of them they could use.
Donald Trump is a little petty bitch.