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On August 8, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at former Republican President Donald Trump's home turned paid membership resort Mar-a-Lago.
Since then, Trump and his acolytes in the GOP and his MAGA minions have attacked the FBI and the federal entity that filed the request for a warrant, the Department of Justice (DoJ). Seemingly escaping their ire—or perhaps not as vulnerable to the conspiracy theories and false rhetoric aimed at the DoJ and FBI—is the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Most individuals at the center of a federal investigation would go a no comment route for fear of incriminating themselves further, but not Donald Trump.
Seemingly unable to censor himself, Trump and his various mouthpieces made numerous public statements about the warrant used to search Mar-a-Lago while never sharing their copy of the warrant.
In response, the DoJ released the warrant.
Trump's camp moved on to making claims about the affidavit that supported the warrant.
In response, the DoJ released a redacted copy of the affidavit.
\u201cKristi Noem said someone from \u201coutside DOJ\u201d needs to investigate this to get \u201cfull transparency.\u201d The DOJ is transparent. They released Trump\u2019s Search Warrant, Affidavit & a photo of his espionage to the public. Kristi is undermining the DOJ because that\u2019s what MAGA fascists do.\u201d— Dash Dobrofsky (@Dash Dobrofsky) 1661961598
The Trump team denied the existence of then downplayed the items found during the search.
Now the DoJ has shared a photograph showing just some of the classified, sensitive classified and top secret documents Trump took with him when he vacated the White House.
\u201cBREAKING: DOJ Files POWERFUL Response to Trump Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Motion https://t.co/0CaJG8cCJj\u201d— Ben Meiselas (@Ben Meiselas) 1661947950
Still not learning anything, Trump issued a reply to the photographic evidence that is being called both petty and petulant on his struggling Truth Social platform.
Trump tried to claim the evidentiary photo—a variety of documents spread out on a flat surface to make a clear photo possible—was proof the FBI threw things during their search. Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago when the search occurred.
He posted:
"Terrible the way the FBI, during the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, threw documents haphazardly all over the floor (perhaps pretending it was me who did it!), and then started taking photos for the public to see."
Despite all sensitive information being obscured in the photo, Trump tried to claim the documents he improperly stored at Mar-a-Lago were somehow compromised by the photo.
"Thought they wanted them kept Secret?"
He then reiterated his false claim he had the ability to automatically declassify anything he wanted to under an alleged standing order.
"Lucky I Declassified!"
Members of Trump's own administration refuted his claims of an implied or explicitly stated standing order to declassify anything Trump removed from the Oval Office.
Longtime Trump adversary, conservative lawyer George Conway shared Trump’s rant on Twitter with the caption:
"Not a parody."
"Evidence of guilt, and of a highly disordered personality."
\u201cNot a parody. Evidence of guilt, and of a highly disordered personality.\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
\u201c@Tough2TalkHost @gtconway3d PS - he still doesn\u2019t get to play with them in his widdle office. They belong at the National Archives \u203c\ufe0f\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
\u201c@acarts13 @gtconway3d When has he ever listened to a lawyer? Unless it was one as corrupt as he is...\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
\u201c@theolddelewis @gtconway3d I think saying that TFG had a plan might be a bit generous.\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
People noted Trump's many stories are contradictory.
\u201c@cb_annen @gtconway3d lol yes he did. And the ones WITH HIS HANDWRITTEN NOTES ON THEM lol\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
\u201c@itsevilmee @gtconway3d Beautifully written.\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1661950740
Self-described "Attorney, Marine, Triathlete, Historian" and "Former Federal Prosecutor & Republican; now Defense Attorney & Democrat" who "Track[s] & Report[s] on the Right-Wing," Ron Filipkowski stated the above screenshot was just the tip of the iceberg.
Tuesday morning he tweeted:
"I don’t know if he’s been hacked or just completely lost his mind, but by my count Trump has posted or reposted over SIXTY things so far this morning, most of which are rando accounts with almost no followers or straight QAnon people."
\u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s been hacked or just completely lost his mind, but by my count Trump has posted or reposted over SIXTY things so far this morning, most of which are rando accounts with almost no followers or straight QAnon people.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1661865755
\u201c@YayPublicSchool @RonFilipkowski I mean, DOJ asked for double the page count to respond to his request for a special master. 40 pages spelling out what he had and how they found it... Coming out today\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1661865755
The more Trump and his supporters try to discredit the investigation, the more credible it looks thanks to strategic filings from the DoJ.
\u201crecords. They finally got 15 boxes. After going through them and finding all kinds of classified records (not organized at all), they raised the alarm. They wanted to make a referral to the FBI but had to first consult with Trump's team, per the PRA procedure. Trump's team\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
\u201creferral to FBI.\n\n3) The FBI reviewed the records and the criminal inquiry was opened. A grand jury subpoena was issued to Trump's team. Again, they delayed and delayed in complying. Finally, in early June they agreed to a meeting at MAL to comply. They turned over more\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
\u201c4) The FBI gathered new evidence that there were in fact more classified records at MAL, including in locations outside of the storage room. They got the search warrant and found approximately 100 additional classified records, some located in Trump's own office. \n\n5) That is\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
\u201cthem as personal records, he never did so. He did not do so in 2021, he did not do so when subpoenaed, he never did it. He has no possessory interest in the records. \n\n7) Second, they argue Trump is not entitled to any injunctive relief. Again, these are not his records, he\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
\u201cwere already separated and are set to be evaluated by the magistrate. The records Trump claims are covered by EP are not his anyway, and the Nixon precedents make clear he cannot invoke it to override the need to conduct a criminal investigation. \n\n9) To sum it up, Trump took\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
\u201c@BradMossEsq in Trump-speak, it means there were not just in the storage room (as we just found out) but also, probably projecting that they are scattered all over various properties.\u201d— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1661918373
In January 2021 as Democratic President Joe Biden took office, Trump was required by the Presidential Records Act of 1978 as well as other statutes to turn over all documents related to his presidency to NARA.
When Trump failed to do so, NARA contacted the former President with repeated requests.
After getting Trump to return only a portion of the documents—which included classified and top secret material—being stored in an unsecured location at Mar-a-Lago, NARA alerted the DoJ to Trump’s failure to follow the law.
Late Tuesdat night the Justice Department reported in a new legal filing—in response to Trump’s request to appoint a special master to review documents—it seized more than 100 unique classified documents during the FBI search.
The DoJ also alleged it has evidence “records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation.” prior to the FBI search.