According to media reports, US federal officials were looking for documents related to nuclear weapons when they inspected former President Donald Trump’s Florida home this week. It is not clear whether such papers have been found, the Washington Post reported Thursday. US Attorney General Merrick Garland previously said he personally agreed with the decision to request a search warrant on Trump’s home.
Until now, it was only known that the background to the search was apparently Trump’s handling of documents from his tenure. After Trump returned several documents in January, officials suspected Trump or his team withheld important documents, the Washington Post wrote. Now the FBI would have taken 12 boxes full of files. Trump and other Republicans have heavily criticized the search, accusing Democratic US President Joe Biden of politicizing the FBI. Biden was not aware of the Trump house search in advance, according to the White House.
“reasonable suspicion”
There is no official information about the reasons for the raid. US Attorney General Garland also made no comment on Thursday, referring to “ethical obligations”. However, he stated that he had “personally authorized” the search. “The search warrant was issued by a federal court after the necessary determination of reasonable suspicion,” Garland said in Washington on Thursday (see video above).
Monday’s raid is unprecedented in American history. There is much speculation about the background. Trump himself could clarify a lot: It is his right to publish the search warrant, as well as which documents are involved.
Trump wrote on Thursday on the social network he co-founded, Truth Social, that he had given the government everything it wanted. Then it came “out of nowhere and without warning” to the FBI search. The ex-president went on to say that agents searched former First Lady Melania Trump’s closets and searched her personal belongings. “Surprisingly, they left the area in relative chaos. Wow!” he declared.
It’s the presumption of innocence
Garland said Thursday he could not comment on the details of the search. However, given the public interest and Trump’s confirmation of the incident, his department has petitioned a federal court to release the search warrant and receipt for seized items. Garland stressed, “All Americans have the right to a fair application of the law, a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.”
In his appearance on Thursday, Garland warned against questioning the professionalism of his staff. “I would like to comment on the recent baseless attacks on the professionalism of FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors: I will not stand by as their integrity is unjustly attacked,” he said. The men and women of the FBI and the Department of Justice are “devoted patriotic officials” who protect the American people every day from violent crime, terrorism and other threats.
Attempted attack on FBI officials
Law enforcement officials have been criticized at times after the Trump raid on Florida on Monday. Concerns about violent attacks also grew. “Violence against law enforcement is not a solution, no matter where or who someone is angry at,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday. A gunman attempted to break into an FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday. After a chase, the man was shot and killed by police during a shootout. Initially, nothing was known about the man’s motives.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
