Following the FBI’s raid on former Trump national security adviser John Bolton’s home, right-wing media acknowledged criticisms that President Donald Trump is using the federal government to exact “retribution” and “revenge” against his political opponents. Now right-wing media are celebrating the lawfare they clamored for in the lead up to the 2024 election. They have called Bolton’s raid “payback time,” saying “it should be” retribution, and calling for Trump to “put them up for treason.”
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Right-wing media celebrate Trump’s campaign of retribution against political opponents
Right-wing pundit following the FBI raid on John Bolton’s house: “Retribution? You bet it is. And it should be.”
Written by Gideon Taaffe & Torri Lonergan
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Trump’s FBI raided Bolton’s house following right-wing media calls for retribution
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- The FBI raided John Bolton’s home in Maryland as part of an investigation into whether Bolton illegally shared or possessed classified information. According to the New York Times, “Six cars were parked in Mr. Bolton’s driveway, at least one of them a dark-colored S.U.V. At one point three agents wearing F.B.I. jackets were seen carrying in empty document boxes, presumably to collect evidence.” The raid comes after Trump was previously investigated for his handling of classified documents, which was dropped after he won the 2024 election. [The New York Times, 8/22/25; ABC, 11/26/24]
- Once a national security adviser in the first Trump administration, Bolton has become a public critic of the president. Bolton wrote a memoir that detailed his experiences in the Trump White House and claimed, “I don't think he's fit for office. I don't think he has the competence to carry out the job.” Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance shortly after his second term began in January. In the lead up to Trump’s second term, it was reported that Donald Trump Jr.’s goal was “to keep the John Boltons of the world outside a second Trump administration.” [ABC News, 8/22/25; Axios, 4/24/24]
- Right-wing media amped up calls for revenge and retribution in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election. In October, Trump ally Mike Davis claimed, “Retribution is a key component of justice.” In 2023, Fox host Jesse Watters claimed, “You better believe it’s open season” when Republicans regain the White House. Others called for a “reign of terror,” and for “Democrats to get a healthy dose of their own medicine.” After the election, War Room host and Trump ally Steve Bannon said, “We want retribution and we're going to get retribution.” [Media Matters, 10/15/24, 6/17/24, 12/12/23, 12/16/24]
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Right-wing media cheer on Bolton raid: “It’s time for payback”
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- Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt reacted to the Bolton raid by claiming, “It clearly is payback time.” Schmitt continued, “People need to be punished for what they have done, because they started it. They started this. He didn't start it. They started it.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 8/22/25]
- Schmitt later reiterated, “It seems very obvious … this is revenge. … It is retaliation,” while a chyron read, “Trump flips the script on left’s lawfare.” Trump senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro responded, “People will say retribution. Yeah, maybe. And they deserve it. But it's more about, for me, accountability.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 8/22/25]
- Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty claimed there is “no ambiguity” that Trump is taking revenge on his political enemies and that “it’s time for payback.” Finnerty: “The Associated Press writing that ‘Donald Trump ran on a promise to use the powers of the government for revenge against those he believe wronged him, and now he appears to be fulfilling that campaign promise.’ Exactly. Yes, exactly. That's exactly what is happening right now. There's no ambiguity about that.” [Newsmax, Finnerty, 8/25/25]
- Finnerty later added, “I don't think that payback should be a bad word.” He continued, “Payback, retribution, call it whatever you want. An eye for an eye. Sometimes two wrongs can make a right, especially if it benefits the country and benefits our political system in the future. And I sort of think that's the direction that the White House and the Department of Justice are going here. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that.” [Newsmax, Finnerty, 8/25/25]
- Right-wing streamer Zack Hoyt, known as Asmongold, claimed, “If you start a game and you say these are my rules and you start working that way, you shouldn't be surprised if somebody goes and does that to you,” adding, “Trump should go to try to put these people in jail.” Hoyt continued, “Put them up for treason. Do whatever the worst thing is you can do, do it. Because that's what they would have done to you. And if you don't do it to them, they will do it to you given a long enough timeline. They tried to ruin his life. Exactly. Yeah. Treason, big no no. Yeah. Always do it. Always do it. Never like, this is the way I always look at things. If somebody would do something to you, do it to them first. Immediately. Don't let them even have the chance.” [YouTube, Asmongold TV, 8/23/25]
- Fox host Greg Gutfeld said, “Some people say it's retribution. I say, who cares?” Gutfeld continued, “When you think about the constant lawfare, the gerrymandering, the Dems never expect it to happen to them. They're like home invaders who didn't expect a well-armed occupant when they showed up, and Trump is well-armed.” His co-host Jesse Watters added, “And how many people did they get, Greg? They got Stone, they got Navarro, they got Bannon. They got all the Trump family, Manafort, Carter Page. The list is long, so I believe this is probably going to be the first in many raids.” [Fox News, The Five, 8/22/25]
- Fox News ran a chyron that read “Bolton's learning the hard way” as host Laura Ingraham said, “After cheering on lawfare against President Trump, John Bolton is learning the hard way, perhaps, that no one is indeed above the law.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 8/22/25]
- The First’s Jesse Kelly reacted to the Bolton raid, saying, “Retribution? You bet it is. And it should be.” Kelly added, “When you are in a war for power, and we very much are in a war for power, you had better hit back and let the enemy know that it can come right back to him.” [The First, I’m Right with Jesse Kelly, 8/25/25]
- Right-wing conspiracy theorist Dinesh D’Souza claimed, “Revenge or retribution is a very important principle. It’s called Tit for Tat.” He added, “In game theory, it’s the only way to achieve a stable equilibrium. It’s also the entire basis for our legal system of punishment. There is no “principle” that says, let the bad guys get away with it.” [Twitter/X, 8/24/25]
- Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter commented, “I support retribution against our political enemies.” Schlichter also wrote, “Just a reminder that retribution is a key component of a civilized society; wrongdoing must be punished.” [Twitter/X, 8/23/25, 8/22/25]