European diplomats working in Washington are getting worried about how Donald Trump‘s team handles law enforcement. Top officials from some of America’s closest friends in Europe have been quietly talking about their concerns with how the Justice Department works under Trump.
Their worries cover many areas, from how the government deals with immigration to bigger questions about whether the U.S. legal system is still fair. These diplomats are concerned that Trump’s actions might make it harder for their countries to work with American police on important cases that cross borders. The mood among European diplomats seems tense, with many watching carefully and feeling anxious about where U.S. law enforcement is headed.
According to Politico, one European diplomat showed just how uncertain things feel, telling reporters, “We still don’t know how far they’ll go.” This worry reflects bigger concerns about what many see as huge changes in how the Justice Department works during Trump’s second term as president.
FBI searches John Bolton’s home, adding to diplomatic worries
The recent FBI search of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s home has made diplomats even more worried about politics affecting law enforcement. On August 22, 2025, federal agents searched Bolton’s Maryland house and Washington D.C. office to look into whether he shared secret information in his 2020 book.
FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the search, with help from CIA Director John Ratcliffe who gave intelligence that was used to get the search warrant. Bolton worked as Trump’s national security adviser but got fired in 2019. He has criticized the president a lot since leaving the job. Trump had already threatened to put Bolton in jail because of his book, which said bad things about Trump’s foreign policy skills.
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) August 26, 2025
While their countries arrest people for social media posts. Got it.
When and how the search happened has made foreign watchers question whether law enforcement actions are being driven by politics. This fits with Trump’s habit of going after critics through different government agencies, which has become something the world is worried about.
European diplomats are especially concerned about the harsh tone and approach taken by top Justice Department officials. They think the public comments from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Patel are both unhelpful and unprofessional. Some worry that the standards for how the nation’s top law enforcement officials should behave have gotten much worse.
The drug gang terrorist label issue has created more problems for international police work. Trump labeled eight major criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, as foreign terrorist organizations in January 2025. While this was meant to fight drug trafficking, it has created real problems for sending criminals between countries.
European countries usually refuse to send suspects to countries where they might get the death penalty. The terrorist label could put some defendants at risk of being executed, which might stop European nations from sending them to the United States. This is exactly the kind of unexpected problem that makes international police work harder that European diplomats have been warning about.
