On Friday, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) expressed strong disapproval of the Trump administration following the indictment of former national security adviser John Bolton.

Bolton faces charges from a federal grand jury for allegedly transmitting and retaining national defense information, marking him as the latest critic of former President Trump to encounter criminal charges.

“It’s difficult to comment on this without noting that if Bolton had not parted ways with Donald Trump, he likely wouldn’t be facing these charges today,” Raskin remarked during an appearance on CNN’s “News Central.”

The Maryland lawmaker argued that Bolton could mount a robust defense by claiming “selective” and “vindictive prosecution,” particularly since the charges emerged after Bolton criticized President Trump for appearing to falter in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Raskin further accused Trump of routinely blending official government matters with his own personal business interests.

“I mean, he wrote a whole book saying, if Trump were to be elected again, the second term would be far worse than the first term,” Raskin told host John Berman. 

“And so there‘s no doubt that revenge is being exacted against him for those kinds of statements,” he added. 

Bolton’s charges follow the Justice Department’s decision to indict former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), who both investigated Trump criminally prior to his reelection. 

The Wall Street Journal and some political commentators have accused the president of launching a retribution campaign against his political enemies upon his return to the White House.

“Mr. Bolton will get his day in court, and we look forward to his defense. In our experience he is a patriot who would do nothing to compromise national security,” the Journal wrote in an editorial. “He never leaked classified information to us. If Mr. Bolton had praised Mr. Trump in his book, it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have been indicted.”

Bolton, whose home was raided by the FBI earlier this year, pleaded not guilty during his Friday arraignment and previously said in a statement that he would “never” compromise the country’s foreign policy or national security goals.

“These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct,” the former national security adviser said of Trump after being criminally charged.

“Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America’s constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom. I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose [Trump’s] abuse of power,” Bolton added.

On Thursday, the president told reporters he was unaware of Bolton’s indictment but criticized his character.

“I think he’s a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy,” Trump told reporters. “It’s too bad, but it’s the way it goes.”