Former President Donald Trump said the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida was politically motivated, and that the Democrats had been known for using the Department of Justice to sling mud at Republicans.
“The RAID was Politics, the Midterm Elections, and 2024. It’s another form of Election CHEATING—That’s all the Radical Left Democrats know what to do. They use the FBI & DOJ to try and dirty up their opponents, but the people of our Country are wise to them like never before. Be careful what you wish for!” Trump wrote in a statement on his Truth Social platform on Aug. 13.
FBI agents seized about 20 boxes of items during a raid of Trump’s resort on Aug. 8, along with documents marked as confidential, classified, and top secret, according to a warrant and a property receipt unsealed by Judge Bruce Reinhart on Aug. 12. However, Trump has said that the documents were “all declassified.”
The warrant said the FBI was investigating the former president for possible violation of three different laws, including one that prohibits gathering, transmitting, or losing information related to national defense under the Espionage Act.
The FBI raid has significantly boosted voter enthusiasm. According to a survey released by the Convention of States Action and The Trafalgar Group, 83.3 percent of Republicans, 71.7 percent of Independents, and 55.2 percent of Democrats said the raid increased their motivation to vote in November.
Among Independent voters, the survey found that 53.9 percent said they believe “Trump’s political enemies” were behind the raid, with 35.3 percent believing it was the “impartial justice system,” and 10.8 percent saying they were not sure.
The poll was conducted for two days ending on Aug. 10 during which 1,095 respondents were polled.
Secret Service personnel are seen in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. on Aug. 8, 2022. The FBI raided the home reportedly to retrieve classified White House documents. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images
Trump has not made a public announcement about running for president in 2024. However, during a speech at a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona on July 22, he hinted at a possible 2024 run when he said “We may have to do it again.” In July, he told New York Magazine that he has made up his mind about whether to run in 2024 but the “big decision” is when to make the announcement.
Some GOP lawmakers have also suggested the FBI raid was an effort by Democrats to stop Trump from another bid for presidency.
“This is a political hit job, designed to stop President Trump from seeking the White House in 2024,” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) wrote on Twitter on Aug. 9. “It will not stand. We are demanding immediate oversight hearings in Congress.”
“The FBI engaged in partisan politics by raiding President Trump to try and damage the America First movement ahead of the 2022 midterms and to try and harm President Trump’s chances of defeating their preferred Democrat candidate in 2024,” Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) wrote on Twitter on Aug. 9.
READ MORE
In separate posts on Saturday, Trump criticized the FBI for being “corrupt” and how the agency went about its search of his home.
The FBI has “a long and unrelenting history of being corrupt,” Trump wrote. “In the modern era, nothing has changed except that it has gotten far worse. … They spied on my campaign, pushed the FAKE Dossier, and illegally used the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] Court.”
“NOW THEY RAID MY HOME, ban my lawyers and, without any witnesses allowed, break the lock that they asked us to install on the storage area that we showed them early on, which held papers that they could have had months ago for the asking,” Trump added.
“The whole World was watching as the FBI rummaged through the house, including the former First Lady’s closets (and clothing!), alone and unchecked,” Trump continued. “They even demanded that the security cameras be turned off (we refused), but there was no way of knowing if what they took was legitimate, or was there a ‘plant?’ This was, after all, the FBI!”
