David Axelrod, who previously served as chief strategist for President Obama, shared his thoughts on the FBI’s raid of John Bolton’s residence earlier on Friday. He suggested that the administration’s actions are intended to “send a message” to those who oppose it.

“I believe this isn’t solely an attempt to silence John Bolton, but also a warning to other critics of the administration: if you displease the president, the administration, along with the Justice Department, will come down hard on you,” Axelrod remarked on CNN on Friday.

Critics have argued that the ongoing conflict between President Trump and Bolton, who was once his national security adviser, suggests the raid was an act of revenge.

“The fact that the FBI director takes to social media to comment on this and the vice president of the U.S. adds his voice indicates that this gesture is politically driven,” Axelrod added.

The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, posted on the social media platform X Friday morning,  “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.” 

Numerous officials within the administration shared the post, including Vice President Vance and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who remarked, “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”

After Bolton’s departure from the White House during Trump’s first term, he became an outspoken critic of the president. Recently, Bolton has repeatedly condemned the president’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In 2020, Bolton published a tell-all book titled “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.” The book was highly critical to Trump and prompted suspicions from the president that Bolton mishandled classified records. 

Trump said on Friday about Bolton that, “He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy. We’re going to find out. I know nothing about it. I just saw it this morning, they did a raid.”

The FBI confirmed that there was a “court-authorized law enforcement activity” in the Bolton home, near Washington, D.C., related to the handling of classified information.

Almost immediately upon returning to the White House this winter, Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance and Secret Service protection.