Mar-a-Lago Raided: Why FBI Agents Searched Trump's FL Estate

PALM BEACH, FL — In the hours after FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago, the resort and residence of former President Donald Trump, battle lines were quickly redrawn as Democrats applauded the decision and Republicans vowed retribution, calling the search a "weaponization" of the criminal justice system as Trump prepares for a second presidential run.

Trump confirmed the "unannounced raid" that he likened to "prosecutorial misconduct" in a lengthy statement Monday.

"My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," Trump said in the statement released through his political action committee Save America.

"They even broke into my safe!" he continued. "What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States."

What led to the search? Has this happened before? Here's what we know so far:

How did this start?

In January, the National Archives and Records Administration removed more than a dozen boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago after the agency claimed they were removed from the White House in violation of the Presidential Records Act.

The agency then asked the Justice Department to look into Trump's handling of other presidential documents, the Washington Post reported.

According to the Post, some of the materials Trump took included letters and notes from foreign leaders like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

What were agents looking for Monday?

In his statement released Monday, Trump did not specify what agents were looking for at Mar-a-Lago. He was also not at Mar-a-Lago during the search, the New York Times reported.

According to The Associated Press, two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search was related to the records probe. Agents were also looking to see if Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate.

There are multiple federal laws governing the handling of classified records and sensitive government documents, including statutes that make it a crime to remove such material and retain it at an unauthorized location.

Though a search warrant does not mean criminal charges will follow, federal officials looking to obtain one must first demonstrate to a judge that they have probable cause that a crime occurred.

Monday's search is hardly the only legal headache confronting Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election — which led to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — has also been intensifying in Washington. Several former White House officials have received grand jury subpoenas.

Finally, a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, is investigating whether Trump and his close associates sought to interfere in that state's election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.

Who authorized the search?

It's unclear. The search was court-authorized, a person familiar with the probe told The Washington Post, which reported the agents were investigating the possible mishandling of classified documents sent to the resort.

Such a search, however, would need clearance from "the highest levels of the U.S. Justice Department," the Post reported, noting a department spokesperson declined to comment when asked if Attorney General Merrick Garland had approved the search. The FBI also declined to comment to the Post.

The Biden White House also claimed to have no advanced knowledge of the search.

Has this happened to other former presidents?

While this may be the first time the FBI searched a former president's home, it's not the first controversy involving presidential records.

The effort to preserve presidential records started during the presidency of Richard Nixon, who refused to hand over his White House records following Watergate. After his resignation in August 1974, Congress passed the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974, ordering officials to obtain Nixon’s records, according to a separate Washington Post report.

In 1978, Congress extended the law to apply to all presidents and vice presidents.

Records are preserved by the National Archives and Records Administration and are not available to the public until five years after a president leaves office. Certain items can be shielded for up to 12 years.

How did Republicans respond to the search?

Republicans in Washington called the search "politically motivated" and a Democratic-driven effort to keep Trump from winning another term in 2024. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed retribution against the Justice Department, claiming he would investigate the agency if the GOP takes back the House of Representatives in November.

"The Justice Department has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization," McCarthy said in a statement.

Republicans are also calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray — an official appointed during Trump's presidency — to appear before Congress to explain why the search of Trump’s residence was necessary, the Post reported.

"This should scare every American," Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who leads the campaign committee of Senate Republicans, said on Fox Business. "Until we get answers, you should have unbelievable concern."

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said the search shows no one is above the law.

"We believe in the rule of law. That's what our country is about," Pelosi said in an interview with NBC's "Today" show. "And no person is above the law. Not even the president of the United States. Not even a former president of the United States."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.