Trump NSA Warns Of 'Incalculable Damage' From Mar-A-Lago Documents In Hands Of US Adversaries: 'National Security Is At Stake'

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents after the former president pleaded not guilty at the Miami court on Tuesday. 

What Happened: Bolton, on Tuesday, took to Twitter to berate the former president, saying the classified documents  found at his Mar-A-Lago residence could have caused "incalculable damage" if they had ended up with "America’s adversaries."

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"This is material that, in the hands of America’s adversaries, would do incalculable damage to the United States. This is a very serious case and it’s not financial fraud, it’s not hush money to porn stars, this is the national security of the United States at stake."

"I think we’ve got to take the politics out of this business when national security is at stake," he added.

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In a separate interview with CNN, Bolton said, "If Donald Trump was an honest man. If he were an innocent man, he’d be saying I want to try out within 30 days. I want this could be removed from my head. I want the stain on my reputation to be removed. Wait and see what Donald Trump does. I think he will try and postpone it till the 2024 elections."

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Why It Matters: Amid the escalating competition for the Republican nomination, Bolton has been launching a barrage of accusations against the former president. The former Trump ally is also considering his own candidacy for the 2024 U.S. Presidential election as a Republican contender.

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Trump is a frontrunner in the GOP presidential nomination race for the 2024 White House run. Despite various legal challenges Trump faces, he said he would not withdraw his name from the presidential race.

In a rampant, defiant speech, hours after arraignment, the former president called the investigation “another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election,” adding, “It’s political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation.”

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