What Trump critic John Bolton said on US President's whisper to Macron about Putin

Former national security adviser John Bolton recently reacted to President Donald's hot mic moment at the White House. Just days before a high-stakes summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Trump was caught on hot mic quietly telling French President Emmanuel Macron that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to make a deal”.

Trump, reflecting his comments after meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said “I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand, as crazy as it sounds.” Trump’s off-camera remark sparked intense speculation about U.S.-Russia diplomacy and Trump’s role in ending the war.

ALSO READ: FBI raids home of former Trump adviser John Bolton in high-profile national security probe. Who is he?

What did John Bolton say on hot mic moment?

Commenting on the hot mic moment, John Bolton said it reveals key insight into Vladimir Putin’s approach to dealing with the US president as he pushes for a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine.

In an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Bolton zeroed in on Trump’s use of the words, “for me,” saying the phrase is “evidence” of the message Putin likely conveyed to Trump when they met in Alaska on Friday.

Bolton said he suspects Putin appealed to Trump’s long-established desire to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the war in Ukraine.

"It’s Putin saying, as he possibly did in Alaska, ‘Look, I can help you out here, Donald. You deserve the Nobel Peace Prize if you can bring peace here. And I want to help you. You know, this war never would have begun if you had been president,’” Bolton said, speculating about Putin’s message to Trump during their private meeting.

ALSO READ: Rapper Lil Nas X found roaming in LA at 4 am after 'overdose'. Who is he and what is his net worth?

“That’s the way to Trump’s heart,” Bolton added. Bolton said the fact that Trump thinks Putin wants to make a deal to help Trump personally is “evidence of how Putin negotiated him — and Trump is so proud of it, he tells Macron.”

John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who served in Trump’s first administration, has been one of the president’s sharpest critics in recent years. Ahead of the Alaska meeting, he voiced strong doubts about the chances of reaching a peace deal.

“I don’t think there’s a peace deal anywhere in the near future,” Bolton told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday.

“As long as Putin is advancing on the battlefield, even if it’s 3 yards in a cloud of dust, he’s not going to give up anything if he can get away with it,” he added. “And I think here, I think the White House has lowered expectations precisely for the reason that it’s too complicated to handle here.”

ALSO READ: 'Escape to Epstein Island, Diddy Party': Roblox, facing shutdown rumours, was called 'perfect place for pedophiles'

FBI raids John Bolton

FBI agents raided the Maryland home of John Bolton as part of a “national security investigation in search of classified records". An FBI official said “The FBI is conducting court authorized activity in the area. There is no threat to public safety,” but declined to comment on Bolton, according to NBC. That statement indicates a judge authorized the search of Bolton’s residence.

FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission” at around 7 a.m. ET, the same time his agents reportedly arrived at Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, near Washington, D.C.

Attorney General Pam Bondi retweeted Patel’s tweet, writing, “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.” And Patel’s deputy director at the FBI, Dan Bongino, in his own post on X wrote, “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”