Trump Calls for ‘Immediate Release’ of FBI Raid Search Warrant

Former President Donald Trump prepares to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on Aug. 6, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump said overnight that he supports the immediate release of any documents related to the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-lago estate in Florida earlier this week, which he deemed to be politically motivated.

“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going to step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me, much as they have done for the last six years,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday asked a federal court to unseal the warrant itself, some supporting materials, and a receipt listing items taken by FBI agents from the Mar-a-Lago resort during the raid.

Now that the raid has been executed, the government’s lawyers said in a new filing that making the warrant public “would not ‘impair court functions,’ including the government’s ability to execute the warrant.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland, a Biden appointee, said on Thursday that the DOJ filed the motion to unseal the documents “in light of the former president’s public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances, and the substantial public interest in this matter.”

The DOJ has until 3 p.m. on Friday to notify U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart whether or not Trump agreed or opposed the unsealing of the warrant and any related documents.

‘Release the Documents Now!’

Trump called the FBI’s raid on his Palm Beach estate evidence of “prosecutorial misconduct” and a “weaponization of the Justice System.”

The former president alleged that the raid is motivated by people who don’t want him to run again for president in 2024.

In his latest statement released on Truth Social, Trump referred to his popularity in the polls and reiterated his statements that the raid was “political weaponization of law enforcement,” something more commonly seen in developing countries with corrupt political systems.

“My poll numbers are the strongest they have ever been, fundraising by the Republican Party is breaking all records, and midterm elections are fast approaching,” Trump said.

“This unprecedented political weaponization of law enforcement is inappropriate and highly unethical. The world is watching as our country is being brought to a new low, not only on our border, crime, economy, energy, national security, and so much more, but also with respect to our sacred elections! Release the documents now!”

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.