The FBI raided Former U.S president Donald Trump’s Florida residence on August 8. Trump had allegedly carried confidential presidential documents to his residence.
On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home. As a part of the potential mishandling of presidential documents that he brought home even after his term ended.
Trump’s house raided
According to CNN, Trump was absent from his home when the raid took place. The FBI officers allegedly took his cell phone and even looked in his safe. “They even broke into my safe!”, said Trump in a statement.
The raid was part of the official investigation into Trump’s alleged involvement in violating the law under The Presidential Records Act. The act was brought after President Richard Nixon had tried to erase the evidence of his reaction after the Watergate scandal broke out. Under the Act, the documents and papers of the White House are retained once the president’s term gets over. It is then decided if the documents will be discarded, archived, redacted or made public.
Neither the FBI’s Florida branch nor the Department of Justice gave an official reason for the raid. Both Christopher Wray, FBI’s director and his superior Attorney General Merrick Garland gave the search a green light. Interestingly, Trump had appointed Wray back in 2017. Several sources have also reported that President Joe Biden had no prior information about the raid.
An investigation was already underway in February when he had taken nearly 15 boxes of records home. However, Eric Trump says his father was in contact with the National Archives and cooperated with them for months.
Trump, termed the raid a “weaponization of the Justice System”. He declared that the raid was part of some larger conspiracy, which was the work of Left Democrats who did not want him to run for the president in 2024. Trump also claims that “Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
Trump supporters, with fresh enthusiasm call for him to contest in the 2024 elections again. Many Republicans have also thrown their weight behind Trump. Mike Pence, expressed “deep concern” and claimed the raid to be partisan. Moreover, Kevin McCarthy, vying for the speaker position in the House of Representatives has also ‘promised’ to “conduct immediate oversight” of the Justice Department, if the Republicans won the mid-term elections. He has also vowed to launch an official investigation into Attorney General Merrick Garland, once in power.
Political repercussions
The recent raid is another addition to a barrage of accusations against Trump. Already, Trump is facing investigations for the January 6 Capitol riots and his involvement in them. It might be a golden opportunity for the Democrats who see him as a rival. As Trump is gearing up again for the position of president in 2024, these political developments can easily hinder his presidential campaign.
However, it might not all be against Trump. A few of these developments can even work in his favour. The raid has already snatched the attention of the Democrats and their victories. For instance, this week itself, they passed a massive economic package in Congress which addresses climate change. The bill largely went unnoticed as the media darling Trump once again captured the attention. As far as his supporters are concerned, they are back with renewed vigour. With Trump already under investigation for the Capitol riots, this raid now puts everything into a new perspective for his supporters. Naturally, his radical supporters will see this as a ‘witch hunt’ and him as a victim. This will make it very easy for Trump to exploit their sympathy in the 2024 elections.
Read more: “Trump was pouring gasoline on the fire,”-witness at the Congressional hearing on the Capitol Riots
