WASHINGTON: Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton was stripped of Secret Service protection in January, but claims circulating on social media that he was arrested for treason are false.
The misleading narrative originates from a website known for publishing fake news reports of high-profile arrests.
Bolton, who served in the White House during President Donald Trump’s first term, lost his Secret Service protection and security clearance on January 20, 2025, after Trump began his second term.
Social media posts falsely claimed that Bolton was arrested by his Secret Service detail, with some posts featuring a photo of Bolton alongside the caption: “Globalist Traitor John Bolton Arrested for Treason.”
However, no credible news sources have reported such an arrest. Alexandria Worley, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service, categorically denied the claims in an email to Reuters on February 11.
“The US Secret Service has not arrested former National Security Advisor John Bolton,” she stated.
The false claim appears to have originated from a January 24 article on the website Real Raw News, which alleged that Bolton was arrested in Bethesda, Maryland.
The website includes a disclaimer stating that its content consists of “humour, parody, and satire,” though it also describes the disclaimer as a protective measure advised by legal counsel.
Trump defends withdrawal of Bolton’s protection
Meanwhile, Trump defended his decision to revoke Bolton’s Secret Service protection, stating that such security “cannot be provided for life.”
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump described Bolton as a “very dumb person” and a “warmonger.”
“We’re not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives. Why should we?” Trump said. “I thought he was a very dumb person, but I used him well because every time people saw me come into a meeting with John Bolton standing behind me, they thought that he’d attack them.”
Bolton, 76, has been a target of an alleged assassination plot, with the US Justice Department charging a man in 2022 for attempting to hire a hitman to kill him.
In a post on X, Bolton said the security threat against him remains, citing a recent arrest of an individual allegedly involved in a plot against Trump.
Bolton also contrasted Trump’s decision with that of former Democratic President Joe Biden, who extended Secret Service protection to him in 2021. “The American people can judge for themselves which president made the right call,” he wrote.
