The raid on former President Donald Trump's residence Monday evening elicited a mix of outrage and suspicions that the search was politically motivated.
Trump said that his residence was being examined by an FBI team that had entered his safe.
Trump Supporters Rally Outside Mar-a-Lago
A small group gathered across the street from the Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida Monday night as cars went by honking after former President Donald Trump said federal officials searched his Palm Beach residence.
As per USA Today, the FBI is participating in the search, which is linked to records Trump took from the White House last year. Trump did not explain why the agents seemed to be at his Florida property in a statement, but he did say that "this unannounced raid on my house was neither necessary nor acceptable."
Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade tweeted that he had spoken with Eric Trump, who informed him that the raid was carried out by around 30 agents. Kilmeade falsely stated that the White House authorized the operation.
The house was reportedly examined in connection with 15 boxes Trump took with him when he left the White House last year, some of which may have held sensitive documents, according to the New York Times. The horrific raid is still making headlines, and conservatives online are reacting with contempt.
Trump Supporters Question Why FBI Hasn't Raided Hillary Clinton's Home
Donald Trump has accused the FBI of having a double standard after raiding his Mar-a-Lago estate to get presidential papers but allowing Hillary Clinton to 'destroy and acid wash 33,000 E-mails.'
Hillary Clinton's emails were held on a private server, which violated government policy, and the business that administered the server destroyed the archive mailbox in March 2015. Trump claimed in a long statement that the raid was a sign of "dark times for our Nation."
The transfer of records from the White House to Mar-a-Lago was first reported in February even though the law requires all presidential communication and paperwork to be turned over to the National Archives.
The raid was believed to be court-authorized, and the FBI provided early notification to US Secret Service personnel at Mar-a-Lago, who cooperated by allowing them access to the property. The White House of President Joe Biden was unaware of the raid.
On Monday night, Donald Trump was seen exiting Trump Tower in New York after claiming that his house had been raided by the FBI, purportedly as part of an investigation into whether the former president took sensitive materials with him when he left the White House.
As he walked inside his SUV, accompanied by Secret Service personnel, he waved and gave his customary thumbs up to the assembled crowd. However, the probe is focusing on anything Trump carried to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House, especially if he has classified information in his private possession, which would be a violation of federal law.
The raid comes as Donald Trump considers running for president again; and his actions after the 2020 election, in which he attempted to nullify Biden's victory, are being investigated by legislators on Capitol Hill.
The Justice Department would clarify whether Attorney General Merrick Garland personally ordered the search although a raid on a former president is exceedingly uncommon without the AG's consent.
The FBI provided early notification to US Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago, who cooperated by allowing them access to the property. The Secret Service agents, however, did not participate in the inquiry or search.
This means that the FBI didn't have to break into the house or smash down any doors. A search warrant does not imply that criminal charges are imminent or even expected, but it must be court-authorized, Daily Mail reported.
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