{"id":2610738,"date":"2026-06-04T16:09:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T20:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/boltons-guilty-plea-makes-media-attacks-on-trump-doj-look-even-more-ridiculous\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T16:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T20:11:06","slug":"boltons-guilty-plea-makes-media-attacks-on-trump-doj-look-even-more-ridiculous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/boltons-guilty-plea-makes-media-attacks-on-trump-doj-look-even-more-ridiculous\/","title":{"rendered":"Bolton&#8217;s Guilty Plea Makes Media Attacks On DOJ Look Ridiculous"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fboltons-guilty-plea-makes-media-attacks-on-trump-doj-look-even-more-ridiculous%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2610738&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has reportedly agreed to a plea deal after being accused of mishandling classified facts. According to the Associated Press, he will plead guilty to one count of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-probing-classified-docs-at-biden-center-from-when-he-was-vp\/\" title=\"DOJ Probing Classified Docs at Biden Center From When He Was VP\">retaining classified information<\/a>, face a $2.25 million fine, and may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/grassley-plea-deal-ignores-significant-body-of-evidence-of-hunter-bidens-other-criminal-schemes\/\" title=\"Grassley: Plea Deal Disregards Hunter Biden&#039;s Other Crimes\">avoid prison time<\/a>. This comes after Bolton had described himself as a target of a \u201cweaponized\u201d Department of Justice-an argument the article says media outlets amplified.<\/p>\n<p>The piece argues that major outlets framed Bolton\u2019s indictment as evidence of President Donald Trump pressuring DOJ for political retribution,frequently enough emphasizing claims of government \u201cweaponization\u201d without presenting clear proof. It notes that reporting included angled headlines and coverage that treated Bolton\u2019s allegations as credible by default, despite an Associated Press report that the inquiry began before Trump\u2019s second term. The article concludes that Bolton\u2019s guilty plea weakens his claims and highlights what it calls biased or propagandistic media coverage.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has reportedly agreed to enter a plea deal over his alleged mishandling of classified documents just months after he claimed he was the victim of a weaponized Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>Bolton is set to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/bolton-justice-department-trump-classified-information-3a92a8f87521cee9a7627db53a75e9c1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Associated Press<\/a> (AP) reported. Bolton was <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/10\/16\/john-bolton-indicted-on-18-counts-for-mishandling-classified-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">initially indicted<\/a> on 18 counts in October related to his alleged leaking of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/patrick-buchanan-how-when-do-we-come-together-again\/\" title=\"Patrick Buchanan: How, When, Do We Come Together Again?\">national security secrets<\/a> while he was writing a memoir. Under the plea deal, Bolton will pay a $2.25 million fine and could possibly help him avoid prison time, according to the AP.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s hard to ignore that the same man who reportedly just agreed to plead guilty \u2014 an admission that he committed a crime \u2014 is the same man who insisted months ago that he was the victim of political persecution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,\u201d Bolton <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5560137-bolton-responds-trump-indictment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> following the indictment.<\/p>\n<p>The claim was convenient for the propaganda press, which was desperate to prove that President Donald Trump was doing exactly what it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-is-a-woman-the-left-suddenly-knows-after-gop-senator-mistakenly-refers-to-dc-mayor-as-a-man\/\" title=\"What Is a Woman? The Left Suddenly Knows After GOP Senator Mistakenly Refers to DC Mayor as a Man\">spent years denying<\/a> the Biden administration had done. But Bolton\u2019s guilty plea now makes that coverage look ridiculous. <\/p>\n<p>Even before the indictment was handed down, outlets like The New York Times were working overtime to cast a shadow of doubt on the investigation itself, with one piece headlined: \u201cSearch of Bolton\u2019s Home Shows Uneasy Mix of Retribution and Law Enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is not clear what evidence the authorities have that John Bolton mishandled classified information, but President Trump\u2019s efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >punish rivals immediately stoked questions<\/a> about the investigation,\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/22\/us\/politics\/trump-bolton-search-analysis.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">subhead<\/a> read.<\/p>\n<p>Even before most facts were available, readers were encouraged to view the investigation through the lens of weaponization and political persecution rather than the possibility that Bolton may have actually committed a crime.<\/p>\n<p>Once the indictment occurred, the media went into overdrive to frame the indictment as an example of weaponization. <\/p>\n<p>Politico\u2019s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/10\/16\/john-bolton-indicted-criminal-charges-classified-documents-00612387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> on the indictment in October, with a subhead that read: \u201cThe charges against Trump\u2019s former national security adviser come as the president has pressured DOJ to pursue criminal indictments of his political foes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CNBC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/10\/16\/trump-john-bolton-grand-jury-indictment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dan Mangan<\/a> framed the original indictment news this way: \u201cBolton, 76, is the third high-profile Trump foe in recent weeks to be criminally charged after extensive criticism by the president\u201d \u2014 apparently to create the impression that Trump\u2019s criticism led to the indictment.<\/p>\n<p>CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/live-news\/john-bolton-indictment-10-16-25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">headlined<\/a> her piece: \u201cBolton decries indictment and Trump\u2019s \u2018abuse of power,\u2019\u201d elevating Bolton\u2019s allegations as though they were credible by default.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/10\/16\/bolton-indictment-trump-administration-stalin-secret-police\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Axios\u2019 <\/a>Rebecca Falconer highlighted the Bolton claim that the Trump administration looked like \u201cStalin\u2019s secret police after indictment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democracy Docket\u2019s Jacob Knutson headlined his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/news-alerts\/doj-john-bolton-indicted-trump-retribution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">piece<\/a> about the indictment: \u201cDOJ, Now Trump\u2019s Tool of Personal Retribution, Indicts John Bolton.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It mattered naught to the legacy media that, as the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/live\/donald-trump-news-updates-10-16-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Associated Press<\/a> reported at the time, \u201cthe investigation that produced the indictment began before Trump\u2019s second term.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That detail alone should have dispelled allegations that Bolton\u2019s prosecution was part a personal revenge tour on behalf of the president. Nonetheless, much of the media just accepted Bolton\u2019s narrative and ran with that framing anyway. <\/p>\n<p>But Bolton\u2019s guilty plea not only undermines Bolton\u2019s own weaponization claims, but also exposes how ridiculous the media\u2019s attacks on Trump have been. They ran with an angle that lacked evidence simply because it aligned with a preferred narrative, that is, that the Trump administration is corrupt. They wanted Bolton\u2019s case to be the proof that Trump had turned the Justice Department into a weaponization bureau and instead, it\u2019s just more proof that they are propagandists.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bolton reportedly agreed to a plea deal over classified docs, after claiming DOJ weaponization<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2610739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/26615454028_6c04022306_k-e1780598394257.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32417,7076,32750,40441,4188],"class_list":["post-2610738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-court-case","tag-doj","tag-guilty-plea","tag-legal-commentary","tag-media"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/26615454028_6c04022306_k-e1780598394257.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2610738"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2610742,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610738\/revisions\/2610742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2610739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2610738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2610738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2610738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}