Former US President Donald Trump has said his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was searched by FBI agents, marking a significant escalation in the investigation into his handling of classified material. In a statement on Monday evening, Trump described the operation as an 'unannounced raid' and claimed agents broke open a safe.
The search is believed to be linked to an inquiry into whether Trump removed classified records from the White House and took them to his Florida estate after leaving office in January 2021. The Presidential Records Act requires all documents and emails to be transferred to the National Archives, which in February retrieved 15 boxes of papers from Mar-a-Lago that included items marked as classified national security information.
An unnamed law enforcement official told CBS News that the Secret Service was notified shortly before the warrant was served at around 10:00 local time. Several boxes were taken away, but no doors were kicked down, and the search concluded by late afternoon. The FBI and Department of Justice have not commented.
Eric Trump, the former president's son, told Fox News the search was related to the National Archives investigation. Trump has previously dismissed reports of mishandling official records as 'fake news'. In his statement, he accused the FBI of an 'assault' that 'could only take place in broken, Third-World countries'.
The search has galvanised Trump's supporters, with some gathering outside Mar-a-Lago and Trump Tower in New York. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemned the Department of Justice, accusing it of 'weaponised politicisation'. The White House said it was given no notice of the search and is limiting interactions with the Justice Department to avoid any appearance of political pressure.
