The recent FBI raids on John Bolton's Maryland home and Washington D.C. office this August have reignited one of the most explosive publishing dramas of the Trump era. The searches thrust Bolton back into a spotlight raising fresh questions about his 2020 blockbuster The Room Where It Happened and a saga that's now careened across two very different presidencies.
The media in a rush to judgement has entered into the theory that this is just about retribution, but the real story is interesting enough without speculation.
The Review That Wasn't (2019–2020)
Bolton dutifully submitted his tell-all manuscript to the National Security Council in December 2019, following the standard prepublication review. By April 2020, the career official reviewing the book delivered what should have been welcome news: the manuscript didn't appear to contain classified information.
After this stage, a Trump political appointee became involved in the process. Following this intervention, NSC officials stated that classified information remained in the manuscript, delaying final written clearance and leaving Bolton trapped in bureaucratic limbo.
Bolton's Gamble (June 2020)
Tired of waiting, Bolton pulled the trigger on June 23, 2020, releasing The Room Where It Happened without final written clearance from the NSC. The Trump administration scrambled to court, seeking an emergency injunction to stop publication. The Department of Justice launched a two-pronged attack: a civil lawsuit seeking to seize Bolton's royalties and a criminal investigation into whether the book disclosed classified material. Both cases proceeded through late 2020 but never reached trial before Trump left office.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court declined to block publication, noting that the book had already been printed, shipped to retailers, and uploaded digitally. But Lamberth didn't mince words about Bolton's decision:
"Bolton could have sued the government and sought relief in court. Instead, he opted out of the review process before its conclusion."
The judge was particularly blunt about the stakes Bolton had chosen:
"Unilateral fast-tracking carried the benefit of publicity and sales, and the cost of substantial risk exposure. This was Bolton's bet: If he is right and the book does not contain classified information, he keeps the upside mentioned above; but if he is wrong, the country loses."
Lamberth delivered his harshest assessment in language that would haunt Bolton:
"Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States. He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability."
The court's practical reality check was equally memorable:
"The horse is not just out of the barn — it is out of the country."
Crucially, the judge made clear that declining to halt publication did not clear the book or resolve questions about classified information.
Show Me the Money
The stakes were substantial:
$2 million advance from Simon & Schuster (according to DOJ filings)
780,000 copies sold in the first week across all formats
Instant bestseller status despite legal clouds
Civil suit sought recovery of "all monies, gains, profits, royalties" if Bolton violated his non-disclosure obligations
Felony conviction and prison as potential criminal penalties
The gamble paid off, at least initially.
How Others Handled the Same Rules
Bolton wasn't the only Trump administration official navigating prepublication review. The contrast is instructive:
Those who fought and won:
Mark Esper (A Sacred Oath, 2022) - Sued Pentagon, won clearance despite being highly critical of Trump
Guy Snodgrass (Holding the Line, 2019) - Sued DoD, got clearance despite being critical of Trump
Those who played by the rules:
James Mattis (Call Sign Chaos, 2019) - Published without issues despite some criticisms of Trump
H.R. McMaster (Battlegrounds, 2020) - Published without issues despite some critiques of Trump
Bill Barr (One Damn Thing After Another, 2022) - Published without clearance disputes
Mike Pompeo (Never Give an Inch, 2023) - Published without clearance disputes
The pattern is clear: other officials, including those critical of Trump, navigated the prepublication review process successfully by following established procedures.
The Biden Vanishing Act (2021)
In June 2021, something curious happened. The Department of Justice, now under Biden's control, quietly dropped both the civil lawsuit and the criminal investigation. No public explanation was provided. No independent review was conducted. The prepublication review process was never completed.
This Biden vanishing act is very suspicious. They could have easily had it reviewed and cleared but they did not. It's not believable that this was not political meddling. Bolton is a non-stop critic of Trump and they let him keep his money and go on his endless marketing tour to this day of the book and Trump bashing. He is a Republican party insider that will continue to bash Trump so let him keep active in that way. This Biden vanishing act is a valid criticism from the Republicans.
Some kind of investigation did continue during Biden but we don't know what it was/is.
The book remains technically uncleared to this day, but with no active enforcement actions or legal restrictions. The government's attempt to recover Bolton's advance and royalties simply evaporated.
The 2025 Revival
Fast-forward to August 2025: FBI agents executed search warrants at Bolton's Maryland home and Washington D.C. office. Officials haven't publicly stated whether these searches connect to The Room Where It Happened or involve separate allegations about mishandling classified information. No charges have been filed, and the investigation's details remain under wraps.
Summary
Mr holy high ground was not concerned about the safety of our country when it could possibly reduce his payday. He likes to say how Trump is unfit for office. How is he fit for office when he disregards national security as the National Security Advisor?
If his book was truly just being punished for political means then the Biden administration could have and most likely would have cleared it. Someone almost certainly did look at it - when you ask why it wasn't cleared, the answer is that most likely they did ask but did not get the answer they wanted.
We don't need to feel sorry for Bolton if he gets prosecuted for this during this second Trump administration. He's not some hero here.