Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former adviser John Bolton amid ongoing Iranian threat
- Former President Donald Trump terminated Secret Service protection for John Bolton, his former national security adviser, on Tuesday, reigniting debates over political retribution and national security.
- Bolton has been a target of an Iranian assassination plot since his time in the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Justice charged a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps with plotting to assassinate Bolton in 2022.
- The decision came without official explanation from the White House or the Secret Service, raising questions about the rationale behind the move. Critics argue it could set a dangerous precedent influenced by personal grievances.
- As a vocal critic of Trump, Bolton has consistently criticized the former president’s foreign policy decisions and leadership style, further complicating the relationship between the two.
- The decision highlights the enduring tensions between the U.S. and Iran, underscoring the broader geopolitical stakes at play, even as domestic political battles take center stage in the 2024 election cycle.
In a move that has reignited debates over political retribution and national security, former President Donald Trump stripped Secret Service protection from his former national security adviser, John Bolton, on Tuesday. Bolton, a prominent neoconservative and outspoken critic of Trump, has been a target of an Iranian assassination plot since his tenure in the Trump administration.
The decision to revoke Bolton’s security detail came without warning. A spokesperson for Bolton confirmed that the Secret Service informed him on Monday night that his protection would end at noon the following day. “I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service,” Bolton wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The White House and the Secret Service declined to comment on the decision, leaving questions about the rationale behind the move unanswered.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s third national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, has been a vocal critic of his former boss since leaving the administration. In a 2024 update to his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” Bolton called Trump “unfit to be president” and accused him of being “utterly self-interested,” alleging that Trump would punish personal enemies while appeasing adversaries like Russia and China.
The relationship between the two men has been fraught since Bolton’s dismissal, which Trump announced on social media at the time, claiming he had “disagreed strongly” with many of Bolton’s suggestions. Bolton, in turn, has been a consistent thorn in Trump’s side, criticizing his foreign policy decisions and leadership style.
The Iranian threat
The decision to remove Bolton’s security detail comes amid an ongoing threat from Iran. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, with plotting to assassinate Bolton. The alleged plot was reportedly in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, in January 2020.
Bolton, who has long advocated for a hardline stance against Iran, was a key architect of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. His role in shaping that policy made him a target for Iranian operatives.
Iran does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, and Poursafi remains at large. Despite the threat, Bolton’s security detail was initially extended by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Bolton acknowledged the extension, even as he criticized Biden’s national security policies.
In his social media post, Bolton emphasized that the threat against him remains active. “That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trump’s own assassination,” he wrote.
Broader implications
The decision to revoke Bolton’s protection raises questions about the intersection of personal grievances and national security. Critics argue that the move could set a dangerous precedent, suggesting that security decisions may be influenced by political animosity rather than objective threat assessments.
Historically, former high-ranking officials, particularly those involved in sensitive national security roles, have often retained Secret Service protection due to the risks associated with their past positions. Bolton’s case underscores the unique challenges posed by his outspoken criticism of Trump and the ongoing Iranian threat.
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, the decision is likely to fuel further debate about Trump’s leadership style and his approach to political adversaries. For Bolton, the loss of protection marks a new chapter in his fraught relationship with the former president, even as he continues to navigate the dangers posed by his past role in shaping U.S. foreign policy.
The move also highlights the enduring tensions between the U.S. and Iran, a relationship that remains fraught with mistrust and hostility. As Bolton noted, the threat against him is a reminder of the broader geopolitical stakes at play, even as domestic political battles take center stage.
For now, Bolton’s future remains uncertain. Without Secret Service protection, he faces heightened risks, even as he continues to be a prominent voice in national security debates. The decision to strip his security detail is a stark reminder of the personal and political costs of serving at the highest levels of government.
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