Democrats have long opposed John Bolton – until they look at him against Trump

When the federal agents made a descent into the home and the office of the former national security advisor John Bolton as part of a classified documents inquiry, some liberal democrats and commentators considered development as another example of what they claim is the political armament of President Donald Trump.

The reaction has marked a striking contrast with the long history of opposition democrats in Bolton. For years, they have denounced it as a hard foreign policy hawk who manipulated the information and pushed the United States into the war. But when Bolton broke with Trump, the Democrats began to quote him as a key witness and to rely on his public comments to strengthen their file against the former president.

Battles on the role of Bolton’s Bush era

Democrats first sought to block Nomination of Bolton in 2005 To serve as an American ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. Then-sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Accused him of being a lie in a Senate questionnaire, noting that he had been questioned within the framework of a joint state department and a CIA investigation into the pursuit of Iraq nuclear materials in Niger.

Representative Henry Waxman, D -Calif., Alleged that Bolton had played a role in the disputed complaint that Iraq had tried to buy Yellowcake Uranium – an accusation that appeared in the state of the 2003 Union in Bush but could not be confirmed by American intelligence agencies.

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The national security adviser at the time, John Bolton, speaks during his press conference in kyiv, Ukraine, August 28, 2019. (Str / Nurphoto via Getty Images)

The same year, Carl W. Ford Jr., then responsible for information in the State Department, described Bolton as a “serial attacker” of power who put pressure on analysts to modify the evaluations. An analyst, Christian Westermann, would have resisted, including the affirmations of Cuban biological weapons in a 2002 speech, which Bolton wanted to pronounce.

The Democrats of the Senate delayed the appointment of Bolton for months, citing concerns that he sought to shape the results of the intelligence to adapt to the objectives of the administrative policy.

Opposition renewal during the Trump administration

When Trump appointed Bolton as a national security advisor in 2018, the Democrats again criticized him, citing his support for war in Iraq and his calls for a hard approach to Iran and North Korea.

The FBI agents made a descent into the former National Security Advisor John Bolton in an investigation of classified documents on August 22, 2025. (Fox News Digital)

“Bolton is a dangerous radical,” said representative Brendan Boyle, D-PA. Senator Ed Markey, D-Mass., Accused him of politicizing information as the conflict in Iraq approaches. Senator Jeff Merkley, D-ear., Argued that Bolton had always been “wrong on security” throughout his career.

Trump himself has become frustrated by Bolton’s bellicist approach, including his opposition to peace talks with the Taliban and advocacy for military action in Iran. The two separated in 2019, Trump announcing the departure of Bolton on social networks and Bolton insisting on the fact that he had already proposed to resign.

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A witness sought during the dismissal

After Bolton’s break with Trump, the Democrats began to underline this during the first trial of Trump’s dismissal against Ukraine.

“We cannot deny the central relevance of John Bolton’s testimony”, then-rewarding. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Said that the directors of the dismissal of the chamber were crowded to appear.

Bolton’s memories later said that Trump had sought to remember Ukraine’s military aid, a move described in private as a “drug agreement”. At the time, MSNBC commentators suggested that his testimony could have been decisive in the end of the trial.

In the end, Bolton refused to testify, angry with certain Democrats who accused him of reserving details for his book rather than presenting them under oath.

National National Security Councilor John R. Bolton listens to the president of the time, Donald J. Trump, meets Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte at the Oval Blanche office on July 18, 2019, in Washington. (Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Role in today’s political debates

Since he left the Trump administration, Bolton has become a regular guest on networks such as CNN and MSNBC, where he continues to weigh on foreign policy and national security.

Although many Democrats once opposed his appointment and criticized his file, they sometimes underlined his comments when they align themselves with their Trump reviews and other Republicans.

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The latest Raid underlines how Bolton remains a polarizing figure – a democrat has long opposed, but also relied on moments where his testimony or comment could be used against Trump.