China News Service, August 9 (Zhang Naiyue) "If your home is searched by the FBI, you are in big trouble." CNBC quoted former federal prosecutor Mariotti as saying .
Today, this "big trouble" falls on former President Trump.
On the 8th local time, Trump said in a statement that the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and agents pried open a safe.
Police direct traffic outside the entrance to former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on August 8, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida.
Something to do with the files in the 15 boxes?
According to CNN, Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago when the FBI entered Mar-a-Lago with a search warrant, and the FBI executed a search warrant and entered the place.
U.S. federal law enforcement officials obtain search warrants when they need to conduct a swift criminal investigation or are concerned that sensitive material they need may be in danger of being diverted, hidden, altered or destroyed.
Data map: Mar-a-Lago.
The raid was interpreted by the media as a "major escalation" of the Trump investigation.
This comes amid an investigation into former President Trump over the Capitol Hill riots.
It was unclear why investigators searched Mar-a-Lago, and the FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The New York Times, citing sources, said the raid appeared to be related to boxes of documents Trump brought back to Florida from the White House.
Trump's son Eric told Fox News that the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago for documents requested by the National Archives.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration previously said it had retrieved 15 boxes containing classified information from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, which Trump had left with government documents, memorabilia, gifts and letters when he left office. The box was brought back to Mar-a-Lago.
The boxes contained documents subject to the Presidential Records Act, which requires all documents and records related to official business to be turned over to the National Archives for safekeeping.
Trump, who has made the Palm Beach club his home since leaving the White House in January 2021, usually spends his summers at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, when Mar-a-Lago is usually closed.
'Nothing like this has ever happened against the President of the United States'
The incident comes as Trump prepares to run for president again.
Trump insisted that the raids were designed to stop him from running for president in 2024 and that "a raid like this can only happen in a broken third world country." attack".
On December 24, 2019, then-President Trump held a video conference call with members of the military at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump said the search warrant was "unnecessary and inappropriate" after he cooperated with relevant government agencies.
"They even pried open my safe!" he wrote. "What's the difference between that and the Watergate incident where agents broke into the Democratic National Committee? Here Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States."
Trump also said excitedly, "These are dark times for our country and my beautiful home - Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida - is currently being surrounded, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. "Nothing like this has ever happened against the President of the United States before."
The White House doesn't know? House Republican leaders rage against Justice Department
The White House seems to be unaware of such a big commotion at Mar-a-Lago.
Data map: Republican leader of the US House of Representatives McCarthy.
The New York Times, citing a Democratic source, said a senior aide to President Biden saw the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago on Twitter without prior notice.
Senior White House officials saw the news through Trump's statement.
In addition to Trump's anger, U.S. House Republican leader McCarthy also expressed dissatisfaction, warning Attorney General Garland to retaliate for his search of Trump's residence.
McCarthy said the Justice Department "has reached an intolerable state of weaponization and politicization" and promised to investigate him if Republicans retake the House of Representatives in the midterm elections.
McCarthy called out to Garland on social media: "Save your files and clean up your records."