Trump says the FBI has raided Mar-a-Lago
Former President Donald Trump said in a statement on Monday evening that the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump said Mar-a-Lago "is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate."
Trump went on to claim that this "is prosecutorial misconduct" and "the weaponization of the justice system," adding that "such an assault could only take place in broken, Third World countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe!" NBC News reports that Trump is in New York City, and has spent the summer at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dave Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney, told MSNBC's Jason Johnson that his office was not involved in the search, which was "kept close to the vest" by the FBI. Aronberg said he thinks Trump "will believe that this is crossing a red line. This is his inner sanctum. To get this raid of his place, there had to be a warrant signed off by a judge. There needs to be probable cause. There needs to be a belief that there's evidence there that could lead to a crime. It can't be a fishing expedition. So this is definitely serious stuff."
It's not known at this time "what crime are they pursuing and who are they pursuing," Aronberg continued, but "I do not believe they are searching Mar-a-Lago to build a case against someone else who lived there or a guest of the place. That is Donald Trump's home and I think it shows further evidence that the Department of Justice is indeed looking at Donald Trump himself."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The political latitude of Elon's cost-cutting task force
Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'It may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published