Trump says Mar-a-Lago raided by FBI
Published Date: 8/9/2022
Source: axios.com

Former President Trump said in a statement Monday his Mar-a-Lago resort was raided by FBI agents.

Why it matters: The former president, who is in New York City, is tied up in several legal matters. Among them, the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.


Supporters of former President Trump stand outside his residence in Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, late Monday following the FBI raid. Photo: Giorgio Viera//AFP via Getty Images

Driving the news: Two sources familiar with the matter told Axios' Jonathan Swan it's their understanding that the raid was related to documents Trump took from the White House that may have been classified.

  • The former president's son Eric Trump told Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday night that he was "the guy that got the call" from authorities and alerted his father about the raid, staying with him all day.
  • "The purpose for the raid from what they said was because the National Archives wanted to ... corroborate whether or not Donald Trump had any documents in his possession," he told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

What he's saying: "These are dark times for our nation, as my beautiful home ... is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," the former president said in his statement.

  • "After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate," Trump continued.
  • "It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024."
  • The former president added, "They even broke into my safe!"

The big picture: The raid angered many Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said Monday the House would investigate the Department of Justice if Republicans took the majority.

  • House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told Fox News he wants to hold a hearing on the raid when the House returns Friday.

Meanwhile, Trump supporters rallied outside Mar-a-Lago into the night to protest the FBI raid.

Between the lines: The FBI cannot issue a search warrant without approval from a federal judge. That means the Justice Department — which is engaged in multiple investigations into Trump and his allies — has probable cause that a crime was committed and that evidence exists at Mar-a-Lago.

  • Trump is also under federal scrutiny for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, in addition to various criminal and civil investigations at the state level.
  • Federal prosecutors reportedly began a grand jury investigation in May into the alleged mishandling of classified documents that wound up at Mar-a-Lago.
  • The DOJ probe of Jan. 6, in which hundreds of Capitol rioters have been charged and prosecuted, has also expanded in recent months to include schemes to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the attack.

The bottom line: "Taken together, this is one of the most significant, sensitive, and politically explosive actions the US Justice Department and FBI has ever taken — one of a tiny handful of times it's ever investigated a president," tweeted journalist and historian Garrett Graff.

Worth noting: Trump has yet to announce whether he plans to run for president in 2024, though he has hinted for months that he will.

  • His daughter-in-law and former campaign senior adviser Lara Trump during an appearance on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" blamed Democrats and "the establishment" for the raid, saying: "They are terrified he's going to announce any day that he's running for president in 2024."
  • Representatives for the Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment on the raid.

Go deeper... Exclusive photos: Trump's telltale toilet

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.