Trump claims FBI 'raided' his Florida home, broke into safe
Former US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his Florida home was "raided" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, the Republican leader claimed the agents also opened up a safe inside his Mar-a-Lago residence. Reportedly, the search is connected to an investigation into Trump's handling of official papers as the US president.
'Home raided, currently under siege'
The 76-year-old claimed that "a large group" of agents had "occupied" his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach. "These are dark times for our nation...(my home is) currently under siege, raided," he posted, further claiming the FBI agents even broke into his safe. "Such an assault could only take place in broken, third-world countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those countries," Trump added.
Why does this story matter?
The alleged FBI raid marks a shift in a months-long probe about confidential documents landing up at Trump's Florida home earlier this year. This had come amid a separate investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential elections. The investigations have triggered potential legal troubles for the Republican leader, who is planning to participate in the presidential race in 2024.
Trump blames 'radical left Democrats' for raids
The alleged raid comes as Trump prepares to run for a second term as the US president in 2024. In his statement, he stressed the "unannounced raid" wasn't necessary as he was cooperating with agencies under an ongoing judicial probe about classified presidential records. Trump blamed the "prosecutorial misconduct" on "radical left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024."
More details about the development
Trump was at the Trump Tower in New York when the alleged "raids" happened and the FBI had executed a search warrant, reports say. His second-oldest son, Eric Trump, said that the investigation was related to the "handling of National Archives records." According to several reports, Trump is rumored to have illegally ripped up many official documents as well.
Trump allegedly mishandled classified documents
In February, the National Archives said it retrieved 15 boxes from Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, and some had highly classified documents. US presidents are required to hand over all documents to the National Archives. However, Trump had dismissed the reports as "fake news." A senior Trump advisor told CBS the latest Florida search is connected to presidential records, but the agents "left with very little."
Trump in the race for 2024
As Trump prepares to enter the presidential race in 2024, he is facing attacks from multiple sides. The Republican leader has been criticized for mishandling national records during his White House tenure, the attack on the US Capitol, wire fraud, and 2020 Georgia election tampering.
