Vance Denies The Fbi Is Investigating John Bolton Because He's A Trump Critic

Vice President JD Vance connected Friday confirmed that President Donald Trump's management is "in nan very early stages of an ongoing investigation" into erstwhile nationalist information advisor John Bolton, but he denied that nan investigation was retribution for Bolton's disapproval of Trump.

Vance's comments came aft nan FBI executed a hunt warrant connected Bolton's Maryland location on Friday morning.

"We’re successful nan very early stages of an ongoing investigation into John Bolton. I will opportunity we’re going to fto that investigation proceed," Vance told NBC News' "Meet nan Press" moderator Kristen Welker successful an exclusive interview.

"We are investigating Amb. Bolton, but if they yet bring a case, it will beryllium because they find that he has surgery nan law," he added. "We’re going to beryllium observant astir that. We’re going to beryllium deliberate astir that, because we don’t deliberation that we should propulsion group — moreover if they disagree pinch america politically, possibly particularly if they disagree pinch america politically — you shouldn’t propulsion group willy-nilly successful prison. You should fto nan rule thrust these determinations, and that’s what we’re doing."

Vance declined to remark connected nan specifics of nan investigation and connected whether Bolton would look national charges, but he confirmed earlier reporting that nan lawsuit centers astir nan retention of classified documents.

"I’ll fto nan FBI speak to that. Classified documents are surely portion of it, but I deliberation that there’s a wide interest about, astir Ambassador Bolton. They’re going to look into it," Vance told Welker.

"And for illustration I said, if there’s nary crime here, we’re not going to prosecute it. If location is simply a crime here, of course, Amb. Bolton will get his time successful court. That’s really it should be. But again, our attraction present is on, did he break nan law? Did he perpetrate crimes against nan American people? If so, past he deserves to beryllium prosecuted," Vance added.

The vice president doubted that Bolton had been detained arsenic portion of nan investigation but wasn't capable to corroborate that, telling Welker, "I haven’t talked to nan FBI this morning. I don’t cognize nan reply to that question. I presume that he hasn’t been detained and won’t beryllium detained until there’s an existent prosecution, if that really happens."

The hunt of Bolton's location began astir 7 a.m. connected Friday and nan investigation is examining nan retention of classified documents and imaginable instances of documents being utilized successful leaks to news media, a root acquainted pinch nan matter told NBC News.

Bolton served arsenic a nationalist information advisor to Trump for astir a twelvemonth and a half during his first term. The 2 parted ways contentiously successful 2019, pinch Trump claiming he fired Bolton and Bolton claiming he offered to resign aft a disagreement.

Since then, Bolton has been an outspoken professional of Trump, alleging successful a 2020 book that Trump often made overseas argumentation decisions successful his first word based connected whether they would boost his chances of re-election.

In nan first respective months of Trump's 2nd term, Bolton has besides routinely emerged arsenic a skeptic of nan president's overseas argumentation and arsenic a professional of respective members of Trump's cabinet.

Vance many times denied that Bolton's disapproval was driving nan investigation, saying, "I fishy that if nan media and nan American group fto this lawsuit really unfold, if they fto nan investigation unfold, arsenic it’s presently doing, they’re going to find retired that what we’re doing is being very deliberate and being very driven by nan nationalist interest, and by nan rule present and that’s arsenic it should be."