The Mar-a-Lago raid, explained
Image: Joe Raedle/Getty
The FBI executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach, FL, on Monday, the former president revealed in a public statement, calling it an “unannounced raid.”
📑📦 More deets… According to multiple news outlets, the search warrant was part of an investigation into whether Trump took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, though both the FBI and DOJ have thus far declined to comment. Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, who was present during the FBI search, confirmed that federal agents “seized paper.”
- The National Archives and Records Administration contacted Trump last year concerning 15 boxes of records he had taken – some of which the agency said were labeled classified – that he later returned this past January.
- In April, WaPo reported the DOJ began investigating Trump for violating the 1978 Presidential Records Act, which requires the White House to hand over all official communications to the National Archives.
🧠In the know: A search warrant doesn’t necessarily mean criminal charges are near or even expected, but federal officials looking to obtain one must first demonstrate to a judge they have probable cause that a crime occurred. It would also likely require signoff from AG Merrick Garland, though the DOJ has declined to comment.
- Legal historians have told multiple news outlets there’s no precedent for a former president facing an FBI raid – even going back to Watergate.
đź“ť Bottom line: Federal officials can face up to five years in prison for moving classified materials to an unauthorized location. Other potential penalties include disqualification from holding any federal office (like the presidency, for instance).
📊 Flash poll: Do you agree with the FBI’s decision to raid former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home?
See a 360° view of what the media is saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that Republicans who unilaterally back Trump without first learning the reasoning behind the raid are advocating for him to be above the law, no matter what possible crime he may have committed.
- Others contend that the search warrant adds fuel to Trump and his base’s perception that he is being unfairly persecuted, and could lead to an even more divided America heading into the 2024 presidential election.
- “The Lawless G.O.P. Response to the Raid at Mar-a-Lago” –Caroline Fredrickson, senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice
- “The extraordinary political storm unleashed by the FBI search of Trump’s Florida resort” –Stephen Collinson, CNN
- “Why the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago feels like a shift in the tectonic legal plates” –Glenn Kirschner, MSNBC
- “Three Major Takeaways From the FBI Search on Trump’s Home” –Noah Feldman, Bloomberg
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the Justice Department is leading America down a dangerous path by setting a precedent that a former president can be prosecuted for what appears to be flimsy evidence.
- Others contend that the Justice Department should have subpoenaed Trump to retrieve the documents, rather than staging a raid with all the publicity that comes with it.
- “The FBI’s Dangerous Trump Search” –The WSJ Editorial Board
- “Justice Department should have subpoenaed documents, not raided Trump’s home” –Alan Dershowitz, one of former President Trump’s impeachment lawyers
- “​​The FBI Should Release the Trump-Raid Warrant” –Alexandra DeSanctis, The Morning Jolt
- “Do We Believe Our Own Dogma?” –Kevin D. Williamson, National Review
Share this!
Recent Discussion stories
Discussion
  | August 8, 2022The Senate passes budget reconciliation bill, heads to the House
👍📝 Following a 15-hour marathon session hopefully involving a pizza break or two, the Senate voted 51-50 on Sunday along party lines in favor of a climate, healthcare, and tax-related budget reconciliation bill dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act.”
Discussion
  | August 5, 2022Teachers are in short supply
👩‍🏫📉 School districts across America are currently scrambling to deal with a nationwide shortage of educators for all levels that represents a “five-alarm crisis,” per the president of the National Education Association.
Discussion
  | August 3, 2022Abortion across America
🗳️ Yesterday, Kansas became the 1st state to vote on whether abortion should be constitutionally protected since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
You've made it this far...
Let's make our relationship official, no 💍 or elaborate proposal required. Learn and stay entertained, for free.👇
All of our news is 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime; the quiz takes ~10 seconds to complete