President Donald Trump revoked former national security adviser John Bolton's Secret Service protection after he was inaugurated as the 47th president on Monday, Bolton told Fox Digital News.
"I am disappointed but not surprised by President Trump's decision to end the protection previously provided by the U.S. Secret Service," Bolton said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "While I criticize Biden, I am disappointed but not surprised." The president’s national security policy, but he decided to provide me with this protection in 2021.”
Bolton faced threats from Iran years ago, including an alleged plot to assassinate him in 2021, a plot that the Justice Department later charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with in 2022. Trump ousted Bolton from his first administration in 2019, and Biden gave him the security detail in 2021.
Fox Digital News reached out to the White House about Bolton's claims but did not immediately receive a response.
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In 2019, President Donald Trump (right) ousted John Bolton (left) from his first administration. (Anna Chanmemaker/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“The Department of Justice filed criminal charges in 2022 against an Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer for trying to hire a hitman to target me. The threat remains today, as does the recent arrest of an individual who attempted to arrange the assassination of President Trump. Proved it," Bolton continued. "The American people can judge for themselves which president made the right decision."
The U.S. Department of Justice reported in 2022 that the Iranian threat to Bolton was likely triggered by the January 2020 U.S. attack that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force.
Bolton served as Trump's national security adviser from 2018 to 2019 before Trump ousted him over their "strong disagreements" on policy issues.
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"I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House," Trump tweeted in 2019. "I strongly disagree with many of his recommendations, as do others in the Administration, so I request John resigned, I am very grateful for John's service, and I will appoint a new national security adviser next week."
Bolton said that after President Donald Trump took office as the 47th president on January 20, 2025, he revoked the Secret Service protection of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In the following years, Trump repeatedly attacked Bolton, including claiming that he would cause "World War VI" and in 2023 calling him "one of the stupidest people in the government."
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Bolton also attacked Trump, claiming in a 2020 interview that Trump lacked "the ability to do this job."
John Bolton (pictured here in 2019 when he was U.S. national security adviser) faced threats from Iran years ago, including an alleged plot to assassinate him in 2021. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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"I don't think he's fit for public office," Bolton said in 2020. "I don't think he's equipped to do the job. Except it would be good for Donald Trump's reelection."