John Bolton arrived at a federal courthouse Friday to surrender to authorities on charges accusing the former Trump administration national security adviser of storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes that contained classified information.
Bolton did not comment to reporters as he entered the courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he is expected to make an initial appearance before a judge on the 18-count indictment brought against him on Thursday.
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Authorities have suggested that classified information was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian government hacked Boltonās email account and gained access to sensitive material he had shared. A Bolton representative told the FBI in 2021 that his emails had been hacked, prosecutors say, but did not reveal that Bolton had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers had possession of government secrets.
The third case against a Trump adversary in the past month will unfold against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Department is pursuing the Republican presidentās political enemies while at the same time sparing his allies from scrutiny.
The latest:
Trump is set to host Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy
President Donald Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks at the White House on Friday. The U.S. leader is signaling heās not ready to agree to sell Kyiv a long-range missile system that the Ukrainians say they desperately need.
The meeting comes a day after Trump had a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In recent days, Trump had shown openness to selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, even as Putin warned against it.
Following Thursdayās call with Putin, Trump appeared to downplay the prospects of Ukraine getting the missiles.
Trump says he expects more countries to join Abraham Accords āsoonā
With a ceasefire and hostage deal Israel and Hamas continuing to hold, Trump says heās optimistic that more Middle East and Muslim countries will move to normalize relations with Israel.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco forged diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel through Trumpās first-term effort dubbed the Abraham Accords. Trump now wants to quickly build on that effort and believes that Saudi Arabiaāthe regionās biggest economic powerācould now be amenable.
Trump in an interview with Fox Newsā Sunday Morning Futures added that Israel and U.S. strikes earlier this year that set back Iranās nuclear program could also inform Riyadhās calculations about joining the accords.
āI hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in,ā Trump said. āI think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in.ā
Senators introduce resolution to restrain U.S. from attacking Venezuela
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, along with Sens. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, and Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, will again test Senate Republicansā willingness to put a check on President Donald Trumpās war powers, this time with a resolution that would prevent Trump from attacking Venezuela without congressional authorization.
Kaine argues that the U.S. is engaged in hostilities with Venezuela and that the War Powers Resolution āwas designed specifically to enable Congress to try to stop a war.ā
The senators can force a Senate vote on the resolution in the coming weeks. Itās meant to build political pushback on the Trump administrationās aggressions in the region.
Trump says his threat of added 100% tariffs on Chinese goods is ānot sustainable.ā
The president in an interview seemed to acknowledge that his threat last week to put another 100% in import taxes on Chinese products would be problematic for the U.S. economy.
According to excerpts of his interview with Fox Newsā āSunday Morning Futures,ā Trump said his plan to dramatically hike import taxes on Nov. 1 unless China removed restrictions on exports of rare earths elements essentially amounted to tough talk. The president plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of this month in South Korea.
āItās not sustainable,ā Trump said of the possible tariffs, ābut thatās what the number is. Itās probably not, you know, it could stand, but they forced me to do that.ā
The president maintains that he has āalways had a great relationshipā with Xi and that Chinese officials āonly respect strength.ā
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton makes first court appearance
John Bolton arrived at a federal courthouse Friday to surrender to authorities and make his first court appearance on charges accusing the former Trump administration national security adviser of storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes that contained classified information.
The 18-count federal indictment Thursday also suggests classified information was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian government hacked Boltonās email account and gained access to sensitive material he had shared. A Bolton representative told the FBI in 2021 that his emails had been hacked, prosecutors say, but did not reveal that Bolton had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers had possession of government secrets.
The closely watched case centers on a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power and who served for more than a year in Trumpās first administration before being fired in 2019. He later published a book highly critical of Trump.
Former NSA adviser expected to appear in court
John Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities and make his first court appearance.
The former Trump administration national security adviser is accused of storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes that contained classified information. Boltonās lawyer says Bolton ādid not unlawfully share or store any information.ā
Bolton is expected to appear later Friday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. Itās the third case to be filed against a Trump adversary in the past month. There are concerns that the Justice Department is pursuing the Republican presidentās political enemies while at the same time sparing his allies from scrutiny.
OrbĆ”n celebrates Hungaryās host status for Trump-Putin meeting
Hungaryās Prime Minister Viktor OrbĆ”n has celebrated his countryās role as the host for upcoming talks between Trump and Russiaās Vladimir Putin.
The leaders are expected to discuss ending the war in Ukraine when they meet in Budapest. Trump said Thursday the meeting would take place in about two weeks. OrbĆ”n, a close ally of Trump and Putin, suggested Hungaryās opposition to Western military aid to Ukraine influenced the decision.
Hungary has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons and has resisted EU sanctions against Russia. The meetingās location holds symbolic significance, as Budapest was where the 1994 agreement on Ukraineās sovereignty was signed.
Trump approval on Israel up after Gaza ceasefire, poll shows
A new AP-NORC poll finds that more U.S. adults support Trumpās handling of the conflict in Israel after he brokered a ceasefire deal in Gaza, but his approval ratings on domestic issues remain weak.
The survey reveals that Trumpās apparent success on the world stage has not improved his overall standing at home. Even some of those who voted for him believe he needs to do more to address issues such as the economy, health care and immigration.
The poll was conducted Oct. 9-13, after the ceasefire deal was announced. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of the way Trump is handling his job overall, unchanged from September.
