FBI Raids Mar-a-Lago, GOP Rushes to Trump's Defense
How do you feel about the FBI search of Trump's estate?
What's the story?
- FBI agents searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Monday as part of a federal investigation into whether the former president took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence.
- The Justice Department and FBI have not disclosed any official reasons for the top-secret search.
- The FBI is run by Christopher Wray, appointed by then-President Trump in 2017.
- Attorney General Merrick Garland, appointed as head of the Justice Department in 2021 by President Joe Biden, has only commented:
“No one is above the law.”
What's the reaction?
Though details of the raid have not been revealed, Republicans have claimed that the FBI's actions amounted to "an intolerable state of weaponized politicization" and "persecution." Some in the party have called for abolishing federal law enforcement.
Worth remembering: "Lock Her Up!"
- Trump, his supporters, and prominent Republican lawmakers took the opposite stance when the FBI was investigating whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information by using a private email server when she was secretary of state.
GOP Reaction
What's the story?
- FBI agents searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Monday as part of a federal investigation into whether the former president took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence.
- The Justice Department and FBI have not disclosed any official reasons for the top-secret search.
- The FBI is run by Christopher Wray, appointed by then-President Trump in 2017.
- Attorney General Merrick Garland, appointed as head of the Justice Department in 2021 by President Joe Biden, has only commented:
“No one is above the law.”
What's the reaction?
Though details of the raid have not been revealed, Republicans have claimed that the FBI's actions amounted to "an intolerable state of weaponized politicization" and "persecution." Some in the party have called for abolishing federal law enforcement.
Worth remembering: "Lock Her Up!"
- Trump, his supporters, and prominent Republican lawmakers took the opposite stance when the FBI was investigating whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information by using a private email server when she was secretary of state.
GOP Reaction
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) tweeted: “We must destroy the FBI. We must save America.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Garland to "preserve your documents and clear your calendar," warning of an oversight probe "when" Republicans take back the lower chamber in the midterm elections.
"The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization."
Trump called the search a “weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), an ardent Trump supported, called for the impeachment of President Biden, accused Democrats of “radicalizing our federal law enforcement to take political enemies out,” and posted an upside-down American flag followed by an all-caps decry: “DEFUND THE FBI!”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) compared the FBI's raid to Nazi Germany's Gestapo:
"This should scare the living daylights out of American citizens and say, 'We have got to change our federal government.' The way our federal government has gone, it's like what we thought about the Gestapo or people like that, that they just go after people."
(D) Reaction
DOJ spokesperson Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search, including whether Garland authorized it.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on NBC's Today show that she only learned of the FBI's search when it "flashed" on her phone and she has no further information.
"We believe in the rule of the law," Pelosi added.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the chair of the House Oversight Committee investigating Trump's handling of documents, commented:
"Presidents have a solemn duty to protect America's national security, and allegations that former President Trump put our security at risk by mishandling classified information warrant the utmost scrutiny."
Maloney added:
"Although details of today's actions at Mar-a-Lago are still emerging, it is clear that the Department of Justice must fully investigate President Trump's potentially grave mishandling of classified information."
-Josh Herman
The Latest
-
IT: 🖋️ Biden signs a bill approving military aid and creating hurdles TikTok, and... Should the U.S. call for a ceasefire?Welcome to Thursday, April 25th, readers near and far... Biden signed a bill that approved aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, read more... -
Biden Signs Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan Aid, and TikTok BillWhat’s the story? President Joe Biden signed a bill that approved aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which could lead to a ban read more... Taiwan -
Protests Grow Nationwide as Students Demand Divestment From IsraelUpdated Apr. 23, 2024, 11:00 a.m. EST Protests are growing on college campuses across the country, inspired by the read more... Advocacy -
IT: Here's how you can help fight for justice in the U.S., and... 📱 Are you concerned about your tech listening to you?Welcome to Thursday, April 18th, communities... Despite being deep into the 21st century, inequity and injustice burden the U.S. read more...
Climate & Consumption
Health & Hunger
Politics & Policy
Safety & Security
It is about time. The trump may get off easy for violating federal law for taking classified records and not properly secured. Some of the documents were classified at the highest levels, greater than top secret, where only a very select few people in the highest levels of our government are even entitled to know the title of the documents - not even the titles or the character of the documents can be listed without compromising national security.
These are criminal offenses with multi-year prison terms associated. The trump was told that he could not take these records before he left the White House.
But wait, there could be more! Records seized that were supposed to be surrender to the National Archives but apparently were not, may include other records that pertain to the insurrection.
There is no way that the DOJ would get judicial approval to search and seize documents unless there were very compelling reasons to do so.
Of course, the Republicans will rant and rave that this is a political action instead of facing the truth that the trump has been and still is a threat to this country's national insterests.
And then, there is the seizure of Scott Perry's cell phone, an apparent co-conspirator in planning and coordinating the attempted coup, to disregard the people's vote and keep the trump in power.
I really want to see the trump, his enablers and co-conspirators to all get some serious prison time and all to be prevented from holding any office or position of public trust ever again.
This must happen, there must be consequences for these actions or they will happen again and again in the future with someone a little smarter than the trump (most people) who would be better able to cover their tracks.
My husband has one of the highest security clearances you can obtain. If he ever took classified documents home, or had them on his personal devices, he would be immediately fired, face prosecution & jail time. No one...absolutely no one, is above the law.
These laws exist for a reason. We must protect our national security.
Anyone with a security clearance (government, defense contractor, consultant) knows that they can't take classified materials from the work place (Oval Office, or any other office) to their residence (White House Residence, Mar-a-Lago, etc) and expect not to those their clearances, ever work again in a job requiring clearances, or face a wide array of charges.
What surprises me is how long National Archives has known classified materials were removed from a work place and moved to a residence without taking any action. The Presidency is yet another government job, and the President yet another government employee.
It seems in the last couple months that the FBI Agent's came to President Trumps home in Florida with his permission and him being home. They did a search then with his permission.
Now if all things being equal and both Hillary and Trump both being Presidential canidates FBI Director looked at Top Secret documents so marked and said that even though she had the documents on her personal laptop out of official offices that NO PROSECUTOR would look at these illegal documents being sent on a personal email server in a closet and decide to prosecute her. The fact that Hillary's lawyer went to the Library of Congress and removed over two dozen documents and hid them to remove them then destroyed the original documents and when caught was given a fifty thousand dollar fine and put on probation. Now we have the FBI doing this invasion of a former President's home and even breaking in his safe when he was not home. This is now a political stunt and lynching and out right persecution by the DOJ.
By the way, the government will have to assure that any plumbers coming to fix the toilets at or the sewer lines from the White House or MAGA-loco, each have the highest security clearances in order to protect national security from trumps record disposal systems.
Same old crap.
Sorry trumpublican/traitors who scream about a 'Search Warrant' to get US government owned docs back, secret or otherwise, which the Ex refused again and again to return, which IS BREAKING THE LAW, up against what these LADIES are having to go thru ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/facebook-turned-chat-messages-mother-daughter-now-charged-abortion-rcna42185
Maybe that's part of the reason why this would be equal treatment ... could we? What about you, my Reps.?
Tonight tRump is hosting 12 GOP representatives at the crime scene, I mean Maralago...probably on he tax payer dime. Message to those attending: you may want to record this event on your phone. That way when you're implicated, you will have something to plea bargain. Just a thought.
This smells awfully bad. It could have a strong backlash. These actions are on the razors edge.
Leave no stone unturned.
He took government classified documents & just left them laying around just because he is a selfish baby that wanted memntos or worse.
What they did is not afraid my god what happened to this damn world. FBI had a signed search warrant. We can let GOP make it about politics. I am sick the GOP and their damn games it's got stop now their push Dem off of Committee s because. When Dem did look at the ugly violence that's was done MTG she a gross person attacking underage kids at Capitol kicking a young person I guess gop cant control their sick house. We have got to get back to real policing not game GOP wants to play since disgusting TRUMP came into picture these people have lost their respect for my Country not theirs they don't deserve it. The will not win until they stop the games aMike Johnson said American want them to do all this crap looking into what ever Mitt Romney want to cut Entitlement first there no damn thing he has $40 mil 5 or 6 homes I don't want in charge of anything. I want younger people not old rich asses in Congress IT MUST STOP THIS IS SICK REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR VOTING THESE RICH PEOPLE IN THAT WANT TO CUT SSI FROM SENIOR CITIZENS. ALSO KEVIN MCC DISTRICT SHAME ON YOU YOUR TI LAZY TO LOOK INTO CANDIDATES BETTER THAN HE IS HE A WEAK MTG LEADS HIM AROUND BY THE NOSE SICK
Why isn't he in jail yet?
The public hears on international and mainline news how sensitive the information the ex-president stored at his residence. How disheartening would it be if he is not held accountable for this and inciting a riot.
I meant to write "inciting a riot" in my previous post not "insighting a riot". The only thing that is insightful is that people felt empowered to show their true feelings
When you are a thief, it's to be expected.
The Supreme Court must go. Now Thomas steps in so the nut Graham doesn't have to testify. Are all the Republicans in this country really that stupid.
How T-rump was allowed to box up all these classified documents & just walk out of the White House is MIND BLOWING! I know he's not that bright, but he's VERY CRAFTY. Do you really think he has everything stuffed "in a single location???" Would you take top secret, and other classified documents, from our government & hide them "in a single location?"
Why is Donald Trump still out of jail. You have to be kidding. Also that fat ass big mouth Bannon lock them up. Lock Jim Jordan. Kevin Macarthy. Ted Cruz they all guilty.
I agree with the raid because the US can't let him make a mockery of government whose purpose is to keep its citizens safe. Remember when he said, "When you a rich, you can get away with it". We must believe what he says.
The public hears on international and mainline news how sensitive the information the ex-president stored at his residence. How disheartening would it be if he is not held accountable for this and insighting a riot.
The public hears on international and mainline news how sensitive the information the ex-president stored at his residence. How disheartening would it be if he is not held accountable for this and insighting a riot.
If Trump doesn't get incarcerated, I never want to hear anyone say that we are a nation based on the rule of law
Gestapo Democrat/Swamp
I will never vote for a Republican again unless the Republican neo radical evangelical party publicly denounces trump's election lie that Biden didn't win the presidency. I believe that it is greed and the fact that none of the Republican congressmen could find a real civilian job if they were not in congress simply greed and self defense are the only things driving the Republican Party now. All the smart candidates voices in the conservative Republican Party are drowned out by FOX entertainment, the national inquirer and other fictional social media entertainment organizations strictly doe to greed. I will never vote Republican unless the party can rein itself in. Fight greed, fight liars, fight republicans. My Republican Party is driving a divide into our country, that will have more negative results then positive for every aspect of our great country
It was not a raid-it was a legal search with a warrant.
The "Rule of law" is an essential Constitutional principle. The raid on Mar-a-logo was part of efforts upholding that principle - even if applying it to a former President who openly derides the law!
Did the FBI also get the illegal server he had in his bathroom, and all his smashed phones, like they got when the FBI raided Hillary's home? Oh, that's right, the FBI knew about it but NEVER raided democrat Hillary's home. Sure sounds fair to me . . . . NOT!
Why is Trump not in federal prison where he belongs. Most Republicans backed him in the attempt to be come King of the US. Lock them all hope or deport them.
As long as the bully has the GOP in a corner, nothing will be done, no matter what they find.
Trump must be held accountable for all his crimes and be fully investigated and charged. He must be held accountable in public trials because no one is above the law. If Trump and the Republicans are allowed to go free then they will keep actively destroying our democracy for their lust for political power abs financial gain. The Republican's in Congress must be held accountable as well. Sedition and insurrection can not stand.