John Bolton is writing a book about the Trump administration — and White House officials are reportedly concerned


Former National Security Adviser John Bolton looks ready to have his say.
Exactly one month after his exit, Axios reported Thursday Bolton is planning to write a book about his time in the Trump administration. He's reportedly being represented by Javelin's Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn, who previously represented former FBI Director James Comey.
President Trump and Bolton parted on bad terms, to say the least, with Trump announcing in September he fired Bolton, only for Bolton to immediately begin texting reporters to say he actually resigned. The two reportedly got into a "bitter argument" right before his ouster about Trump's plan to host the Taliban at Camp David.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Almost immediately after Bolton was gone, Trump began publicly trashing him, telling reporters the day following his exit he "made some very big mistakes" and "got us into Iraq."
"I hope we've left in good stead, but maybe we haven't," Trump added.
It seems safe to say they haven't, especially since Bolton reportedly "ripped" Trump at a private event in September. Now, Axios reports senior White House officials have "privately expressed concerns about what Bolton might say and reveal about his time serving Trump." Trump himself, clearly, won't be happy with Bolton's plans. The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reports that when former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly left the administration, Trump specifically asked him not to write a book; he has reportedly told aides, "I hate these books."
Although Bolton said last month he has a "self-imposed restriction" about going into details about his White House tenure, he vowed after his ouster that he'd "have my say in due course." This book will give him a platform to do just that, and The Daily Beast reported last month Bolton was already speaking with literary agents about writing it, with one source saying, "He has a lot to dish."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The 50-year battle for Western Sahara
The Explainer UK is latest country to back Moroccan plan to end decades-long dispute with Algerian-backed Polisario Front
-
What It Feels Like for a Girl: a 'fearless and compelling' coming-of-age drama
The Week Recommends Ellis Howard dazzles in this 'sharply written' adaptation of Paris Lees' memoir
-
Sports betting is causing athletes to be abused and harassed online
Under the radar Baseball players, tennis stars and others have raised the alarm
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media