Former Trump national security adviser whose White House service ended in 2019 and whose clearance Trump directed be revoked in 2025.
Relationship to Trumpformer Trump national security adviserpolitical / 1 sourceStatus
- Convicted by guilty plea of willful national-defense-information retentionlegal / 2026-06-26–2026-06-261 source · Lead source
- Former adviser; clearance revokedrelationship / 2019-09-101 source · Lead source
- Former adviser turned public criticrelationship / 2019-09-10–2019-09-102 sources · Lead source
- Departed as national security adviseroffice / 2019-09-10–2019-09-102 sources · Lead source
- Former national security adviseroffice / 2018-04-09–2019-09-101 source · Lead source
Exact relationships
- Donald J. Trump
Relationship to Trumpformer Trump national security adviser
Open evidence · 1 sourcedocumented - Donald J. Trump
former adviser targeted by Trump clearance order
Open evidence · 1 sourcedocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 1 sourcedocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 2 sourcesdocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 2 sourcesdocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 2 sourcesdocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 1 sourcedocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 1 sourcedocumented - Donald J. Trump
former national security adviser
Open evidence · 2 sourcesdocumented
Record timeline
- Bolton serves as Trump's national security adviserFormer national security adviserformer Trump national security adviser · documented · 1 source
- Trump removes Bolton after clashes over Iran, Afghanistan, and North KoreaFormer national security adviser and public Trump criticformer national security adviser · documented · 2 sources
- Trump Justice Department sues to block Bolton's book and seize proceedsInjunction denied; civil case and criminal investigation dismissed in 2021former national security adviser · documented · 2 sources
- Court refuses to stop Bolton's book but says he likely exposed the country to harmPreliminary injunction denied; merits case later dismissedformer national security adviser · documented · 2 sources
- Justice Department drops Bolton book prosecution inquiry and civil proceeds suitCivil action dismissed with prejudice; criminal investigation closedformer national security adviser · documented · 1 source
- Trump orders Bolton's security clearance revokedClearance revocation directed; relationship formerformer adviser targeted by Trump clearance order · documented · 1 source
- Trump removes Bolton's protection despite an active Iranian assassination threatGovernment protective detail revokedformer national security adviser · documented · 1 source
- Federal grand jury charges Bolton with 18 national-defense-information countsIndictment resolved by June 2026 guilty pleaformer national security adviser · documented · 2 sources
- Bolton pleads guilty, agrees to a $2.25 million fine, and loses federal retirement eligibilityConvicted by guilty plea; sentencing scheduled October 28, 2026former national security adviser · documented · 1 source
commitmentJohn Bolton plea-agreement fine$2.25 million - Committed by / source
- John Bolton
- Committed toward / intended recipient
- U.S. Treasury
- Financially affected
- John Bolton and survivors separately barred from federal retirement benefits