Bolton defends integrity of DOJ, FBI following Mar-a-Lago raid

Former Trump administration National Security Advisor John Bolton said Thursday that the Justice Department is "overwhelmingly" professional, pushing back against a chorus of GOP voices speaking out against the DOJ and its leader, Merrick Garland, following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago earlier this week.

On CNN's "New Day," Bolton told Brianna Keilar and John Berman that he's had a "long experience" with the DOJ and believes the organization is primarily comprised of individuals who are "professional in carrying out of their duties." 

"I don't recognize a lot of the criticisms that are being made of these institutions," he continued.

Bolton served the previous administration from 2018 to 2019, and was previously the target of an Iranian assassination plot, according to charges unsealed by Justice this week. 

Following the Mar-a-Lago raid, a number of Republican lawmakers and some allies of the former president have accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the DOJ in order to weaken a potential political opponent of the current president. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that if Republicans regain control of the House after the midterm elections, he will implement "immediate oversight" of DOJ.

Bolton, for his part, said both Republicans and Democrats have gone too far in attacking the country's institutions, including the Democratic criticism of the Secret Service, members of which which some liberal lawmakers have accused of deleting text messages related to January.

"You've got the left attacking the Secret Service, the right attacking the FBI," he said, arguing that he is, above all, an advocate for "law and order."