Former President Trump gives first interview since FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid, vows to 'help country'

A Florida judge has scheduled a hearing Thursday in Florida regarding the matter of unsealing FBI records related to last week's raid of Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump's team, on the Truth Social network, called for the unredacted release of the affidavit related to the search, but the Justice Department has opposed doing so, arguing that it will jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on the GOP planning to probe the FBI over the Trump raid and how the Inflation Reduction Act will raise inflation.

Former President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post Monday, wrote "Republicans could win many additional seats, both in the House & Senate, because of the strong backlash over the raid at Mar-a-Lago."

"Polls are showing that some lost Republican territory over the last number of weeks has been more than made up with the unannounced Break In by the FBI, which should never have happened!" he claimed.

Former President Trump called for the immediate release of the "completely unredacted" Mar-a-Lago affidavit in a late night post on Truth Social.

Trump said the move would be in the interest of "TRANSPARENCY."

"There is no way to justify the unannounced RAID of Mar-a-Lago, the home of the 45th President of the United States (who got more votes, by far, than any sitting President in the history of our Country!), by a very large number of gun toting FBI Agents, and the Department of 'Justice,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "But, in the interest of TRANSPARENCY, I call for the immediate release of the completely Unredacted Affidavit pertaining to this horrible and shocking BREAK-IN."

Trump also called for the judge on the case to be recused from the case.

Trump's post comes after the Justice Department filed a motion opposing the release of the affidavit that was used to justify the search of Mar-a-Lago.

"If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps," the 13-page filing says.

"The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential for harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly."

A judge unsealed the search warrant and property receipt on Friday, which revealed that FBI agents seized approximately 20 boxes of items from Trump's home, including one set of documents marked as "Various classified/TS/SCI documents," which refers to top secret/sensitive compartmented information.

"The government determined that these materials could be released without significant harm to its investigation because the search had already been executed and publicly acknowledged by the former President, and because the materials had previously been provided to the former President through counsel," the Justice Department wrote in Monday's filing.

"Disclosure at this juncture of the affidavit supporting probable cause would, by contrast, cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation."

The Justice Department said Monday that it does not oppose the release of other documents, such as cover sheets for the warrant and the government's motion to seal.

Other lawmakers have also called for the release of the affidavit and other documents supporting the search warrant from Trump's home.

The issue now goes back to the magistrate judge, who may ask Trump's team whether they would support the release of the affidavit.

For more on this story:  Trump calls for Mar-a-Lago affidavit release, denounces FBI raid: "No way to justify"

A spokesman for former President Trump blasted CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell for alleging the FBI did not have his passports.

Trump made headlines on Monday with a statement he released on his social media platform Truth Social alleging the FBI "stole" three of his passports, calling it an "assault on a political opponent at a level never seen before in our country."

O'Donnell, host of "CBS Evening News," suggested the Department of Justice did not have Trump's passports, tweeting, "According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump's passports," later adding, "if any items not contained in the warrant were retrieved during the FBI search at Mar-a-Lago, they will be returned."

Taylor Budovich, director of communications for the Save America PAC and Donald J. Trump, appeared to debunk O'Donnell's claim by sharing a screenshot of an email sent earlier in the day by Jay Bratt, an official in the National Security Division of the DOJ. 

"We have learned that the filter agents seized three passports belonging to President Trump, two expired and one being his active diplomatic passport. We are returning them," Bratt told Trump's attorneys Evan Corcoran and Jim Trusty.  

"This is how Fake News works, folks," Budovich reacted to O'Donnell's tweet. "Biden admin actively feeds half truths & lies that the media willingly amplifies—advancing a partisan narrative to attack Trump."

He then asked O'Donnell, "did your ‘source’ read you this email? Did you bother asking if they indeed seized the passports?"

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Trump spokesman added, "This is a perfect example of how the vital institutions of media and justice are being destroyed from within by the lazy, the corrupt, and the ill intent. Sadly, it’s not going to be fixed from the outside. It’s up to the remaining good people within these institutions to expose these bad actors and hold them accountable, or else be complicit in their destruction."

CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. 

For more on this story: Trump spox torches CBS News for claiming FBI did not have former president’s passports

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee asked the White House, FBI, and DOJ on Monday to preserve all documents and communications about the search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

"The FBI’s unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence is a shocking escalation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of law-enforcement resources against its political opponents," the 18 Republicans wrote. "The American people deserve transparency and accountability from our most senior law-enforcement officials in the executive branch. We will settle for nothing but your complete cooperation with our inquiry."

A Pennsylvania man was arrested for allegedly threatening the FBI on the social media platform Gab in the wake of last week's Mar-a-Lago search.

Adam Bies, 46, was charged with influencing, impeding, or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers.

Under the pseudonym Adam Kenneth Campbell, Bies allegedly wrote that he would "slaughter" officials and compared government agencies to the Nazi SS and the Soviet-era KGB.

"I sincerely believe that if you work for the FBI, then you deserve to DIE," Bies allegedly wrote in a post on Aug. 11.

A bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation was sent to law enforcement agencies on Sunday that warned of an increase in "violent threats" against law enforcement, judiciary and government personnel.

Former President Trump has called for calm in the wake of the search, saying Monday that his team reached out to the Justice Department to offer help.

"People are so angry at what is taking place," Trump told Fox News Digital. "Whatever we can do to help — because the temperature has to be brought down in the country. If it isn’t, terrible things are going to happen."

The Department of Justice filed a motion on Monday opposing the release of the affidavit underlying the search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

"If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps," the DOJ wrote.

"The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential for harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly."

The Justice Department told the court that it does not object to unsealing some other documents, including cover sheets for the search warrant and the government's prior motion to seal.

For more on this story: Justice Department opposes release of affidavit justifying FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home

Fox News contributor and former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy shared his legal analysis on the fallout from the FBI's raid on former President Trump's home.

“The issue here is not whether President Trump had a right to have those documents down in Mar-a-Lago. He didn’t under the Presidential Records Act," McCarthy told Fox News on Monday. "The issue is, because the Presidential Records Act is not a criminal statue, whether they should have raised this to DEFCON 5 and sent the FBI… with a search warrant to get the stuff out of his home.”

Former President Donald Trump said the FBI seized three of his passports during its raid on Mar-a-Lago last week, calling the unprecedented search an "assault."

"Wow! In the raid by the FBI of Mar-a-Lago, they stole my three Passports (one expired), along with everything else," Trump posted on his TRUTH Social account. "This is an assault on a political opponent at a level never seen before in our Country."

During the search, FBI agents seized classified records, including some marked as top secret. Trump is disputing the classification of those records, saying the records have been declassified.

For more on this story: Trump says FBI seized three of his passports during raid, calls search an 'assault on a political opponent'

The panel discussed the media's response to the raid amid growing calls for Justice Department transparency surrounding the incident.

Former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker called for transparency from the Department of Justice after former President Trump told Fox News Digital the "temperature must be brought down" following the raid at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Whitaker said on "The Faulkner Focus" Monday that there are many questions that still need to be answered about the FBI's "unprecedented" action.

For more on this story: Former AG Whitaker calls for transparency from DOJ to 'lower the temperature' following Mar-a-Lago raid

The 'Fox & Friends' host discusses the threats directed at federal law enforcement following the raid at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Former U.S. attorney in Utah Brett Tolman joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the White House response to the FBI's raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking about the FBI’s raid at Mar-a-Lago, said government agencies “have now been weaponized to be used against people that the government doesn’t like.” 

DeSantis made the remark Sunday night at a rally for Blake Masters and Kari Lake, two candidates who are running for Senate and governor, respectively, in Arizona. 

“You look at the raid at Mar-a-Lago – I'm just trying to remember, maybe someone here can remind me, when they did a search warrant at Hillary’s house in Chappaqua when she had a rogue server and she was laundering classified information,” DeSantis said. “I don’t remember them doing that.” 

“They are enforcing the law based on who they like and who they don’t like,” he added. “That is not a republic, well it may be it’s a banana republic when that happens.” 

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said he "will do whatever" he can "to help the country," after the FBI’s raid of his Mar-a-Lago home last week, telling Fox News Digital that the "temperature has to be brought down," while stressing that the American people are "not going to stand for another scam." 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Monday morning, his first since the raid, Trump said he had his representatives reach out to the Justice Department to offer to help amid outrage over the FBI’s unprecedented raid on his private residence last week, in which agents seized classified records, including some marked as top secret. Trump is disputing the classification of those records, saying the records have been declassified.  

"The country is in a very dangerous position. There is tremendous anger, like I've never seen before, over all of the scams, and this new one—years of scams and witch hunts, and now this," Trump said.

"If there is anything we can do to help, I, and my people, would certainly be willing to do that," Trump said.

For more on this story: Trump 'will do whatever' he can to 'help the country' after FBI raid: 'Temperature has to be brought down'

Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam speaks about the confidence and trust in the FBI following the raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines over the weekend seeking details regarding the reason behind the FBI's raid of Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported.

The unprecedented operation at the home of a former U.S. president prompted questions from both parties, and Intel Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and ranking member Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., are hoping to get answers.

"In his remarks, Attorney General Garland claimed there was a substantial public interest in the execution of an unprecedented search warrant on President Trump," Rubio said in a statement to Axios. "As such, the Intelligence Committee has asked the Department of Justice to share with us, on a classified basis, the specific intelligence documents seized from Mar-a-Lago."

For more on this story: Senate Intelligence Committee sends Biden administration bipartisan request for Mar-a-Lago raid details

A bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigations was sent to local and state law enforcement agencies that is warning of increased threats following the FBI's execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago.

The bulletin, according to a law enforcement source, states that there are increased threats of violence against law enforcement, judiciary, and government personnel in response to the FBI's execution of the search warrant at former President Trump's Florida estate.

Since the warrant was executed, the FBI and DHS have seen an increase in "violent threats" against federal officials on social media, including a particular threat to "place a so-called Dirty Bomb in front of FBI headquarters."

"General calls" for "civil war" and "armed rebellion" have also increased in recent days on social media.

According to the bulletin, many of the threats include references to the claim that the 2020 election was stolen, in addition to other perceived claims of government overreach.

Several of the threats are specific, according to the bulletin, which states that "the FBI and DHS have identified multiple articulated threats and calls for the targeted killing of judicial law enforcement and government officials associated with the Palm Beach search, including the Federal judge who approved the Palm Beach search warrant."

Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling for the Espionage Act to be repealed after the FBI's raid of former President Trump's estate, Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8.

Paul made the announcement in a Twitter post on Saturday.

"The espionage act was abused from the beginning to jail dissenters of WWI. It is long past time to repeal this egregious affront to the 1st Amendment," Paul said.

Former President Donald Trump reacted to exclusive reporting from Fox News that some of the documents taken in an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home were covered by attorney-client privilege Sunday.

Trump commented on the news on his Truth Social site, requesting that the documents be returned. Fox News first reported on Saturday that attorney-client documents had been seized.

"Oh great! It has just been learned that the FBI, in its now famous raid of Mar-a-Lago, took boxes of privileged 'attorney-client' material, and also 'executive' privileged material, which they knowingly should not have taken," Trump wrote. "By copy of this TRUTH, I respectfully request that these documents be immediately returned to the location from which they were taken. Thank you!"

Attorney-client privilege refers to the legal privilege of keeping communications between attorneys and their clients private.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the implications of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on Sunday.

Jean-Pierre made the statement during an appearance on ABC News. She stated that the FBI investigation into Trump is ongoing and that it would be "inappropriate" for her to comment. She also stressed that the FBI is completely independent from the White House and has not consulted the White House about the investigation.

"As you know, top Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are calling on the Biden administration to do an intelligence assessment of any national security challenges posed by this," said ABC News host Jonathan Karl. "Is the president concerned?"

"I cannot--I cannot comment on this," Jean-Pierre responded. "It is an investigation that is currently happening. I hear your question, but it would be inappropriate for me as the press secretary to comment on this."

"It would be inappropriate for any of us, including the president or anyone in the administration, to comment on this. This is a law enforcement matter, and the Department of Justice is going to move forward as they see fit," she added.

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI on social media Saturday night, calling their integrity into question days after they conducted a raid on his private Florida residence.

In a series of posts, Trump called the FBI "corrupt" and claimed their raid at Mar-a-Lago on Monday was just the latest in a series of attempts to undermine him. These claims are unsubstantiated.

"The FBI has a long and unrelenting history of being corrupt. Just look back to the days of J. Edgar Hoover," the former president wrote on TRUTH Social, referencing the first director of the federal bureau.

Trump added: "In the modern era, nothing has changed except that it has gotten far worse."

The former president then made a series of unverified claims involving former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, and former FBI attorney Lisa Page. He also referenced the way the FBI impacted the 2016 presidential election.

Click here to read more: Trump lashes out at FBI amid fallout from Mar-a-Lago raid: 'See what they were willing to do'

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI seized boxes containing records covered by attorney-client privilege and potentially executive privilege during its raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News, adding that the Justice Department opposed Trump lawyers' request for the appointment of an independent, special master to review the records.

Sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Saturday that the former president’s team was informed that boxes labeled A-14, A-26, A-43, A-13, A-33, and a set of documents—all seen on the final page of the FBI’s property receipt —contained information covered by attorney-client privilege.

The FBI seized classified records from Trump's Palm Beach home during its unprecedented Monday morning raid, including some marked as top secret. But the former president is disputing the classification, saying the records have been declassified.

Attorney-client privilege refers to a legal privilege that keeps communications between an attorney and their client confidential. 

For more on the story, click here: FBI seizes privileged Trump records during raid; DOJ opposes request for independent review: sources

Former President Trump reacted Saturday to the White House saying it was "not aware" of the FBI's raid of Mar-a-Lago.

"The 'White House' just announced that it had NO KNOWLEDGE of the early morning RAID on Mar-a-Lago, or the break in of Melania’s closets, my safe’s, or the secured and locked storage area where unclassified documents were safely held, and which the FBI knew of, was shown, and made recommendations that another lock be added (which they cracked, but not with the safecracker that they brought with them!). Does ANYBODY really believe that the White House didn’t know about this? WITCH HUNT!," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Former national security adviser John Bolton said that former President Trump would often ask his intelligence briefers if he could keep sensitive documents that were shown to him.

Bolton said that the practice "worried me."

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Former President Trump's lawyer certified in June that no classified material was still at Mar-A-Lago, two sources with knowledge of the investigation tell Fox News.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations executed a search warrant of former President Trump's Florida estate on Monday and seized items which include 11 sets of material that are listed as classified.

Trump said after the warrant was publicly released on Friday that the documents taken by federal agents were "all declassified."

Trump's lawyers previously held a high-level meeting with people from the Justice Department and the FBI, which the former president briefly attended, but it's unclear if the letter was signed during the meeting.

Lawyers for former President Trump could face serious legal consequences if they knowingly gave false information to law enforcement.

Fox News' Bill Mears contributed to this report.

“If they do not get what they are looking for or what they are trying to sell to the American people, I don’t know how Merrick Garland remains Attorney General after this November,” Former DOJ spokesman Ian Prior says. “Especially if, as we expect, Republicans take the House of Representatives.”

"If they believe in Congress' right of oversight, they should be able to give us all the information. If they want to give it to me in a classified setting, they can do that," Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott told Fox News. "But the American public needs to have a much better understanding of why they did this, what information did they have, why the judge made the decision.

"There's a lot of unanswered questions here, and they're hurting themselves, and they're hurting this great country," he added.

A spokesperson for the General Services Administration told Fox News that the Trump administration was responsible for deciding what documents were taken to Florida.

"As part of the services and support GSA provides to all outgoing presidents, GSA typically contracts for the transportation of items identified by the outgoing President as necessary to wind down the affairs of their office. The responsibility for making decisions about what materials are moved rests entirely with the outgoing president and their supporting staff. Any questions about the contents of any items that were delivered, e.g. documents, are the responsibility of the former President and his supporting staff and should be directed to their office," the spokesperson said.

Fox News' Mark Meredith contributed to this report.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday that she has "full confidence" in the Department of Justice after the search warrant that was used during the FBI raid of former President Trump's Florida residence was unsealed.

"Well, as a former prosecutor, I will tell you, I don't speak about anybody else's case, but I have full confidence that the Department of Justice will do with the facts and the law requires," Harris said in response to a reporter's question.

She also called attacks on law enforcement "unacceptable."

"And any so-called leader who engages in rhetoric that in any way suggests that law enforcement should be exposed to that kind of danger is irresponsible and results in dangerous activities. You know, our law enforcement. Professionals. And in this case, we're talking about our federal law enforcement agencies. They do very important work. And from the moment they walk out the door of their home, until they go back in, their families, pray for their safety and well-being. And I think it's just highly irresponsible of anyone who calls themselves a leader and certainly anyone who represents the United States of America to engage in rhetoric for the sake of some political objective that can result in harm to law enforcement officers and agents," Harris said.

President Trump's legal team has informed the Department of Justice that they formally support the release of the search warrant of Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida.

Earlier on Friday, President Trump said on Truth Social that the documents taken by the FBI did not include classified information.

Former President Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday that all documents taken by the Federal Bureau of Investigations were "all declassified."

"Number one, it was all declassified. Number two, they didn’t need to “seize” anything. They could have had it anytime they wanted without playing politics and breaking into Mar-a-Lago. It was in secured storage, with an additional lock put on as per their request...," Trump said. "They could have had it anytime they wanted—and that includes LONG ago. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS ASK. The bigger problem is, what are they going to do with the 33 million pages of documents, many of which are classified, that President Obama took to Chicago?"

The National Archives and Records Administration said in a press release on Friday that former President Obama isn't in control over presidential records from his administration.

"The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) assumed exclusive legal and physical custody of Obama Presidential records when President Barack Obama left office in 2017, in accordance with the Presidential Records Act (PRA). NARA moved approximately 30 million pages of unclassified records to a NARA facility in the Chicago area where they are maintained exclusively by NARA. Additionally, NARA maintains the classified Obama Presidential records in a NARA facility in the Washington, DC, area. As required by the PRA, former President Obama has no control over where and how NARA stores the Presidential records of his Administration," the statement reads.

FBI agents seized classified records from former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago during its unprecedented raid on Monday, including some marked as top secret, according to documents reviewed by Fox News.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart signed the warrant on Aug. 5, giving the FBI authority to conduct its search "on or before August 19, 2022," and "in the daytime 6:00 am. to 10:00 p.m." 

"The locations to be searched include the ‘45 Office,' all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored, including all structures or buildings on the estate," the warrant states, but did not give authority to agents to search areas being occupied by Mar-a-Lago members or not used by Trump and staff. 

For more on this story: FBI seized classified records from Mar-a-Lago during search of Trump residence

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is slamming President Biden's Department of Justice for "blatant politicization" after Attorney General Merrick Garland said he approved the Trump raid.

For more on this story: Elise Stefanik rips AG Garland's handling of Trump raid: Biden DOJ 'targeting his likely 2024 opponent'

Former President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post Friday, suggested that the FBI planted evidence during the raid earlier this week of his Mar-a-Lago residence, without backing up his claim.

The comment comes after sources told The Washington Post Thursday that classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents were looking for in Florida.

"Nuclear weapons issue is a Hoax, just like Russia, Russia, Russia was a Hoax, two Impeachments were a Hoax, the Mueller investigation was a Hoax, and much more. Same sleazy people involved," Trump said.

"Why wouldn’t the FBI allow the inspection of areas at Mar-a-Lago with our lawyer’s, or others, present. Made them wait outside in the heat, wouldn’t let them get even close - said “ABSOLUTELY NOT.” Planting information anyone?" he added. 

After a federal judge gave the Justice Department a deadline to determine whether former President Trump supports or opposes unsealing the search warrant and property receipt used by the FBI to search his Mar-a-Lago home Monday, the former president said he heartily supports the move.

"Release the documents now!" Trump wrote on TRUTH Social at 11:40 p.m. ET Thursday, just hours after the judge’s decision was announced.

In a pair of posts, Trump called the raid on his Florida estate "unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary" and said he approved of the "immediate release" of the warrant.

For more on this story: Trump fires back at AG Merrick Garland over FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid: 'Release the documents now!'

Lara Trump blasted the FBI’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, saying Garland's presser raised more questions on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

'Gutfeld!' panelists react to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland's press conference addressing the FBI's raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and the media falling in line against calling it a 'raid.'

Attorney for former President Donald Trump Christina Bobb blasted U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland's address on the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade voiced his concerns about the FBI’s raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, Attorney General Merrick Garland's role and its implications on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

"Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others.  Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans," FBI Director Chris Wray said in a statement.

"Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside them."

After Trump’s home was raided by the FBI, columnist Paul Waldman scorched Trump supporters in a Thursday op-ed for seeing the former president’s struggles as symbolic for their own.

Titled "Why Trump has to sell a fantasy of collective persecution," Waldman's piece claimed to readers that Republicans are using cynical victim narratives to rally their base: "right now, with investigations potentially closing in on Trump from multiple directions, they’ve homed in on a vital message: This isn’t about Trump. It’s about you." 

Read more.

A source close to former President Trump told Fox News Thursday that new reports suggesting an informant tipped off the FBI about alleged sensitive documents being held at Mar-a-Lago are "irrelevant."

The source reasoned that Trump and the former president's representatives have been "cooperating" with the FBI and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for a year.

Read more.

The official who triggered the federal probe into former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents opted against doing the same concerning Hillary Clinton's email scandal.

David Ferriero, who served as the director of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) from November 2009 until he retired this past April, said in a February letter to House Oversight Committee leadership that his staff had started communicating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year. 

Read more.

GOP senators James Lankford and Rick Scott are demanding that the Senate be briefed by the FBI, Department of Justice and National Archives regarding the "unprecedented" raid of former President Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

The raid was related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) effort to collect records and classified materials the former president allegedly took with him from Washington, D.C., to Mar-a-Lago, a matter the agency referred to the Justice Department. 

Read more.

Former President Trump on Thursday said his team was "cooperating fully" in the Justice Department’s investigation into his alleged improper handling of classified records when he left office, stressing that the FBI’s raid at Mar-a-Lago was "out of no where and with no warning."

Moments after Attorney General Merrick Garland made a rare public statement from the DOJ, announcing that he personally approved the warrant to search the former president’s private residence in Palm Beach, Florida, to search for classified materials he allegedly took with him from the White House when he left office, Trump posted to his TRUTH Social.

"My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established," Trump posted. "The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it."

To read more from Fox News' Brooke Singman, click here.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is under fire from congressional Republicans after admitting Thursday to personally approving the raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. 

The raid Monday was related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) effort to collect records and materials the former president took with him from Washington, D.C., to Mar-a-Lago, a matter the agency referred to the Justice Department. 

GOP lawmakers say Garland's admission did little to tamper criticism of the raid or concerns of the precedent it set. 

"AG Garland's statement about the integrity of the FBI/DOJ would have far more credibility if he at least acknowledged the recent corruption at the Bureau/Dept responsible for eroding public trust," Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., wrote on social media. "The public's declining confidence in the FBI/DOJ hasn't happened without cause." 

To read more from Fox News' Haris Alic, click here.

A federal law enforcement souce tells Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that it's "very likely" the information that gave the FBI probable cause to search former President Donald Trump's estate came from a Secret Service member.

According to that source, the standard for a federal warrant requires a specific item to be potentially siezed, and the location of the item at a specific time.

Because Trump at Mar-a-Lago is primarily is surrounded by political loyalists and Secret Service law enforcement offiers, the federal law enforcement source says, it's likely whoever proviced probable cause to the FBI was a law enforcement officer. That's because, the source said, "the law enforcement officers would have an ethical and/or legal duty to report observations of criminal conduct to fellow law enforcement officers."

Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the search of Trump's home for the first time on Thursday. He did not speak about the impetus for the warrant, but did say the Justice Department is moving to unseal the warrant for the search of Trump's home and the property receipt from the search.

Garland also said he "personally approved" the search.

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was "cooperating fully" with the government in a probe on documents he allegedly took from the White House, but his Florida home was still raided "out of nowhere."

Trump's comments, in posts on his social network Truth Social, follow an on-camera statement by Attorney General Merrick Garland about the FBI search of Trump's home Monday. Trump did not directly address what Garland said.

"My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established. The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it," Trump said. "They asked us to put an additional lock on a certain area - DONE! Everything was fine, better than that of most previous Presidents, and then, out of nowhere and with no warning, Mar-a-Lago was raided, at 6:30 in the morning, by VERY large numbers of agents, and even 'safecrackers.'"

Trump added: "They got way ahead of themselves. Crazy!"

The former president also said in a separate post that the agenda "rummaged through" closets and personal items of former First Lady Melania Trump and "left area in a relative mess."

Several congressional Republicans Thursday slammed Attorney General Merrick Garland for approving the search warrant used in the raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home Monday, saying his involvement is a sign the raid was "politically-motivated."

"A political appointee - with a known vendetta against President Trump - personally approved the raid of Mar-a-Lago? This tells us everything we need to know," Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said.

"Merrick Garland personally approved a search warrant to take down Joe Biden’s top political opponent," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., added. "This is a politically-motivated witch hunt."

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., added: "Merrick Garland better get ready to answer some questions next Congress."

The comments come after Garland Thursday announced that he approved the warrant to search Trump, and said the DOJ is moving to unseal the warrant and property receipt from the raid.

It was generally expected that Garland would have had to approve a warrant application to search a person as high profile as a former president of the United States. The DOJ did not publicly acknowledge its search of Trump until Garland's comments Thursday, though Trump publicized it Monday.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., meanwhile said the level of criticism from Republicans against the FBI for its search of Trump may put law enforcement officers in danger.

"I have been ashamed to hear members of my party attacking the integrity of the FBI agents involved with the recent Mar-a-Lago search," she said. "These are sickening comments that put the lives of patriotic public servants at risk."

Attorney General Merrick Garland said he "personally approved" the decision to seek a search warrant for former President Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago, saying the Justice Department has filed a motion to unseal the search warrant and property receipt from the FBI's raid, amid "substantial public interest" in the matter, while defending the "integrity" of law enforcement officials. 

In a rare public statement, days after the FBI's early morning raid on Trump's private residence in Palm Beach, Fla. 

The raid was related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) effort to collect records and materials the former president took with him from Washington, D.C., to Mar-a-Lago--a matter the agency referred to the Justice Department. 

To read more from Fox News' Brooke Singman, click here.

In an email sent to agency employees nationwide, FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday dismissed critics of the agency as lacking perspective on what actually happens in the organization, Fox News' David Spunt reports.

"There has been a lot of commentary about the FBI this week questioning our work and motives. Much of it is from critics and pundits on the outside who don’t know what we know and don’t see what we see," Wray said. "What I know — and what I see — is an organization made up of men and women who are committed to doing their jobs professionally and by the book every day; this week is no exception."

The email comes as the FBI has been the target of criticism from allies of former President Donald Trump, whose property the FBI searched earlier this week in connection with an investigation on whether he improperly removed papers from the White House.

It also follows an incident in the Cincinnati FBI field office Thursday in which an armed suspect tried to breah the building, then exchanged gunfire with law enforcement.

"Let me also assure you that your safety and security are my primary concern right now. Security Division is working across the agency as we continue to stay vigilant and adjust our security posture accordingly," Wray wrote.

Former President Trump's office received a grand jury subpoena this spring for classified documents he allegedly took from the White House when he left office in 2021, a source close to Trump told Fox News, saying the former president cooperated with the subpoena by turning over documents to the FBI.

According to the source, a subpoena was issued to a "custodian of the president," and was related to the materials that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) was trying to collect after claiming Trump improperly took those classified records with him from Washington D.C. to Mar-a-Lago.

The source close to Trump told Fox News that Trump has been cooperating in the investigation into the NARA records for a year. 

For more on this story: Trump received subpoena for classified records this spring

The Justice Department says Attorney General Merrick Garland will make a statement at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Former Trump White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Thursday on CNN that the FBI and the DOJ have "lost the benefit of the doubt" with Republicans in the U.S. 

"There is a lack of trust on the right, right now, with the FBI. And I think the way they went about this, the fact that they went about this, and especially if the FBI did this only looking for documents, it is really going to create even deeper divisions in the country," Mulvaney said. 

Mulvaney added that Republicans might have a problem with the FBI because they "misled the FISA court about the 2016 election in order to spy on Donald Trump’s campaign." He also said that they misled the public with regard to Hunter Biden's laptop. He said that the raid either had to do with a legitimate investigation or, he continued, it was a "political hit job."

For more on this story: After Trump Raid, Mick Mulvaney tells CNN: FBI and DOJ have 'lost the benefit of the doubt' with Republicans

A source close to former President Trump told Fox News on Thursday that new reports suggesting an informant tipped off the FBI about alleged sensitive documents being held at Mar-a-Lago are "irrelevant," given Trump and his representatives have been "cooperating" with the FBI and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for a year.

That cooperation, the source says, includes June 3, when the FBI came to Mar-a-Lago, asked to see a storage room where records were located, and asked staff to put a lock on the storage room, which they did.

The source says Trump’s staff have been interviewed by the FBI with regard to the NARA investigation over the last several months. The FBI interviewed staff who moved boxes from the White House, administrative staff, and others who helped to organize Trump’s departure from the Oval Office, and questioned those individuals on what they were involved in moving.

"The reality is, you talk to anyone part of an administration and leaving the White House and they will tell you it is always a chaotic thing," the source said, adding that it is "not surprising" records "came that should have stayed," and it is "not unusual for NARA and former administration officials to be in communications about documents and whether or not they should have left the White House or stayed behind."

"Even if there was an informant, someone who told the FBI that all of these things are there, inside Mar-a-Lago, the FBI could have just asked for it, as the president and his team have been cooperating for a year," the source added.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, emphasized the importance of 'trust' in the FBI, arguing the raid has 'destroyed' confidence in the agency on 'Fox & Friends.'

Lindsey Halligan, attorney for former President Donald Trump, explained to Fox News' Sean Hannity what she thinks transpired Monday after the FBI raided the 45th president's Mar-a-Lago residence. 

For more on this story: Trump attorney speaks out on Mar-a-Lago raid: 'Government seems to be out of control'

Former President Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in a deposition as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into his family’s business practices—just days after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago home in connection with an investigation into classified records he allegedly took with him when he left the White House—but investigations are nothing new for Donald Trump. 

Trump's presidency was clouded by investigations—several into whether he colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election, some focused on his finances and others that led to impeachment, making him the first president in United States history to have been impeached twice.

Trump’s post-presidential life is reminiscent of his days in the Oval Office, marred by probes, which the former president and his allies say are all just part of an effort by his political opponents to prevent him from running for re-election in 2024.

For more on this story: Trump targeted: A look at the investigations involving the former president

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday pushed back on social media threats made against him and other law enforcement officers, following his agency’s unprecedented search of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

On Monday, the FBI executed a "raid" on Trump’s Florida home and by that night, droves of social media posts criticized the incident and accused the bureau of being politicized in nature. Some messages also called for violence towards Wray, a massive uprising, and even a civil war.

"I’m always concerned about threats to law enforcement," Wray said Wednesday, condemning the posts. "Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with."

He called the threats "deplorable and dangerous."

For more on this story: FBI Director Wray pushes back on threats following unprecedented raid on Trump: 'Deplorable and dangerous'

Former FBI special agent Maureen O'Connell said she would like to see the warrant and what specifically agents were looking for when they went through the residence of former President Donald Trump. 

Read more.

The Albany Times Union and Judicial Watch have separately asked a federal magistrate judge to publicly release the search warrant for what is presumably related to the FBI raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida on Monday.The judge gave the DOJ until August 15 to respond to the request. 

Read more.

“While we will not comment on specific details, we can confirm that today, our office conducted a deposition of former president Donald Trump,” a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement to Fox News.

“Attorney General Letitia James took part in the deposition during which Mr. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead. Our investigation continues.”

Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are demanding answers about the role the National Archives played in the FBI's raid Monday of former President Donald Trump's private home in Florida, Mar-a-Lago.

The lawmakers led by Ranking Member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., wrote to the acting archivist of the United States Debra Wall Wednesday to express their concerns and to request the preservation of documents and communications related to the warrant executed this week at Mar-a-Lago.

Read more.

Former President Trump on Wednesday said the FBI and Justice Department requested in June that his legal representatives requested that an extra lock be put on the door leading to the place where boxes were stored as his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“We agreed,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “They were shown the secured area, and the boxes themselves. Then on Monday, without notification or warning, an army of agents broke into Mar-a-Lago, went to the same storage area, and ripped open the lock that they had asked to be installed. A surprise attack, POLITICS, and all the while our Country is going to HELL!”

In a follow-up post, Trump said he had a “very professional meeting” with the Attorney General’s Office.

“Have a fantastic company with great assets, very little doubt, and lots of CASH. Only in America!” Trump wrote. 

A source tells Fox News that former President Trump and his legal team will likely seek a court order to force the FBI and the Justice Department to turn over a physical copy of the search warrant, the affidavit, and a complete inventory of what was taken in the Mar-a-Lago raid.

The president of the central American country of El Salvador criticized the FBI following the raid at former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago, noting apparent hypocrisy. 

"What would the US Government say, if OUR police raided the house of one of the main possible contenders of OUR 2024 presidential election?" Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador since 2019, tweeted on Wednesday, sharing a TMZ article about the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. 

Read more.

On the latest episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the host expressed unbridled glee over the news that former President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach, Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, was raided by the FBI.

During the Tuesday evening segment, Colbert claimed the occasion was as big as "Christmas," giggled excitedly about it, and declared that the headline "FBI Agents raided…Mar-a-Lago" is the "most beautiful sentence America has ever produced."

Read more.

Several MSNBC figures have publicly objected to the use of the term "raid" to describe the FBI's execution of a search warrant Monday at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Trump announced the news in a dramatic statement on Monday, declaring his home was "under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents." MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell were among those who described the situation as a raid as the news broke Monday night, and other on-air hosts have used the word since then, but several of their network colleagues have balked at the term. 

Read more.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said on Wednesday that he doesn't believe the raid conducted on former President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate was only about recovering presidential records.

"I cannot imagine that they are literally looking for something on the Presidential Records Act. There's no way in the world that it's only about that," Scott told "The Brian Kilmeade Show."

Read more.

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley explained on "The Brian Kilmeade Show" Wednesday why Attorney General Merrick Garland should have appointed special counsels to investigate Hunter Biden and probe the events of January 6th.  

Read more.

Congressional Republicans are vowing to ramp up oversight of the Biden White House and the Department of Justice after the FBI's raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was the first to make the pledge late Monday after news broke that Mar-a-Lago had been raided by federal agents over Trump's purported failure to turn over classified documents to the National Archives. 

"The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization," McCarthy said. "When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of their department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned." 

For more on this story: Republicans vow ramped up oversight of Biden administration after FBI raid

Calls are growing for the Department of Justice to release information on its Monday raid at former President Trump's Florida home, as the agency remains silent on the unprecedented move two days later. 

"The country deserves a thorough and immediate explanation of what led to the events of Monday," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday. "Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately."

McConnell was joined in demanding an explanation from the DOJ by several other top Senate Republicans, former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Vice President Mike Pence, House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and many more. 

For more on this story: Garland's DOJ faces growing pressure to release information on unprecedented search

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., joined 'The Faulkner Focus' to discuss scrutiny surrounding the FBI's raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and Attorney General Garland's silence on the incident.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., demanded an investigation Wednesday into the Department of Justice and the FBI over the raid on President Trump's Florida home. 

On "Fox & Friends," Paul argued Attorney General Merrick Garland could face impeachment if an investigation finds him guilty of misusing his office. 

For more on this story: Trump raid could warrant AG Garland's impeachment, Rand Paul says: 'This is beyond the pale'

Former President Donald Trump, in a statement Wednesday, said he refused to answer questions from the New York attorney general's office during a deposition in the civil investigation into the Trump family’s business practices

"Accordingly, under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution," he said.

"What Letitia James has tried to do the last three years is a disgrace to the legal system, an affront to New York State taxpayers, and a violation of the solemn rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution," Trump added. "I did nothing wrong, which is why, after five years of looking, the Federal, State and local governments, together with the Fake News Media, have found nothing."

Trump's motorcade was caught on video earlier Wednesday arriving at James' office in Manhattan.

For more on this story: Trump invokes Fifth Amendment rights in deposition for New York AG James' civil investigation

Former President Donald Trump , in a post on Truth Social Wednesday, said he is "at the very plush, beautiful, and expensive A.G.’s office.

"Nice working conditions, as people are being murdered all over New York - and she spends her time and effort on trying to 'get Trump,'" he added.

Former President Donald Trump was photographed Wednesday leaving Trump Tower in Manhattan ahead of a meeting at the New York Attorney General's Office about their civil investigation into the Trump family’s business practices.

The deposition comes just days after the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home as part of an investigation into documents Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to his private residence when he left office in January 2021.

Former President Donald Trump's motorcade has arrived Wednesday at the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Trump will sit for a deposition in the New York Attorney General’s civil investigation into the Trump family’s business practices, Fox News reported yesterday.

FBI agents went through Melania Trump's wardrobe and spent several hours inside former President Donald Trump's private office Monday during their raid of Mar-a-Lago, according to the New York Post.

Investigators reportedly arrived on scene at 9 a.m. and didn't leave until 6:30 p.m.

For more on this story: FBI searched Melania’s wardrobe, Trump’s private office during Mar-a-Lago raid

Members of the federal law enforcement community across the country are beginning to grow frustrated, privately, with Attorney General Merrick Garland as he has remained silent since the search of the former President Donald Trump's Florida home.

Meanwhile, there are growing concerns Wednesday about the safety of FBI agents, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland following the search of Mar-a-Lago on Monday. 

Authorities monitoring social media posts are spotting an significant increase in death threats aimed towards agents, Wray and Garland, with these threats continuing at a steady pace online. 

Security procedures at the FBI and Justice Department are not made public and both Wray and Garland travel with armed security.

However, sources tell Fox News that there are discussions ongoing to potentially increase their security.

For more on this story: FBI agents, Garland and Wray see increased death threats after Trump Mar-a-Lago raid: sources

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation sent agents to Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump, on Monday to execute a search warrant but many questions still remain about the incident.

While the FBI has not specifically used the word “raid” — which has been used by Trump and major news outlets — it has yet to comment on who within the Biden administration first authorized the search.

The FBI obtained a search warrant, which was signed off by Florida federal magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, but experts believe approval may have come directly from Attorney General Merrick Garland as no former president has faced a such search warrant — or a raid — by FBI agents in U.S. history.

The White House said Tuesday that it was not aware of the raid before it happened.

The FBI has also yet to clarify what property was retrieved during the search.

Prior to Monday’s search warrant, Trump’s legal team has been communicating with and has returned 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago to NARA, including documents that contained classified information.

Trump contended his legal team has been cooperating with the FBI and that Monday's actions came as a blindside.

The FBI has also not commented on why the search warrant was executed in the first place.

The incident is believed to be connected to the Presidential Records Act and whether Trump violated the 1978 law by taking documents to his Florida estate. Generally, violators of this measure have gone unpunished or have been quietly prosecuted.

Under the law, presidential documents are required to be preserved and should have been included in materials Trump handed over to the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) when he left office. 

The incident comes as Trump, who is potentially seeking re-election in 2024, continues to be investigated by Congress’ Jan. 6 select committee for his alleged participation in the 2020 Capitol Hill riots; by Georgia prosecutors over a 2020 call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; and, by New York Attorney General Letitia James over whether the Trump Organization misled banks and tax authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago could wind up benefiting former President Donald Trump's potential 2024 comeback bid. Political strategists say the Justice Department's action against Trump has solidified Republican support behind the former president — at least for the time being. 

"I’ve never seen the GOP base this red-hot before, and it’s clearly causing Republicans to rally to his defense," said Andy Surabian, a GOP strategist and former White House official under Trump. "Ironically, all the Democrat-media attacks on Trump, from yesterday's raid to the January 6th Committee hearings, do nothing politically but ensure that Republican voters stay attached to his hip." 

Click here for more on the story: FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago could boost Trump's 2024 White House run, say strategists

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino called the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home a "constitutional abomination to our constitutional republic" and said the personnel involved with the raid should be fired.

"How many freaking times are we going to let the FBI interfere in an election?" Bongino asked rhetorically on Tuesday's "Hannity." 

"I mean, this is supposed to be a constitutional problem. I'm not crazy, right? Like this is supposed to be a representative democracy. Banana republic… we're beyond a banana republic. We're into like tin-pot dictator, third world stuff. This is embarrassing," he added. 

"I don't care who you are, an analyst or an upper level manager, the next president who comes in office, they should schedule as many people as they can in the federal government and fire every single person involved in this. Everyone. The receptionist in the FBI office who took a call on this should be fired," he concluded.

Following the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's home, Sen. Marco Rubio said supporters of the former president will be targeted next.   

"I'm telling you the next thing you're going to see here,  because it's the playbook. And that is, they are now going to begin to say, 'Oh, these Trump supporters, these Republicans, they're very upset. They're saying very angry things. We think they might be a threat. We think they're radical extremists. Let's start arresting them,'" Rubio said on "Hannity" Tuesday. 

"The next step in this process is going to be that people who are supporters of Donald Trump or just conservatives complaining about this … are going to begin to get labeled as potential insurrectionists and are going to begin to get harassed by law enforcement," he added. "That's the next step in this playbook, sadly." 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said the raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence shows an act of desperation and defeat.

"What you saw last night at Mar-a-Lago was the desperation of a national machine that knows it's on the edge of being defeated and then being eliminated. And I think you'll see more desperation in the weeks to come," Gingrich said, during an appearance on "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday.

The White House said Tuesday that President Biden and White House staff learned of the FBI’s unprecedented raid on former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago through public reports "just like the American people did," and stressed Biden's commitment to Justice Department investigations "free of political influence." ,

When asked whether Biden or any White House officials were aware of the raid or had been briefed, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said they were not. 

"No. The president was not briefed, and he was not aware," she said. "No, no one at the White House was given a heads-up. No, that did not happen."

For more on the story: White House says Biden learned of FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago through reports, 'just like the American people'

Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks met with former President Trump at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster Tuesday evening, and said the former commander-in-chief is "very upbeat," and has "made up his mind" about 2024—a decision he will make public in "a matter of time."

Banks, R-Ind., and nearly a dozen members of the House Republican Study Committee, including Reps. Brian Babin, Mike Kelly, Claudia Tenney, Victoria Spartz, Pat Fallon, Mike Carey, Lisa McClain, Michael Cloud, Randy Weber, Troy Nehls, and Erin Houchin, a congressional candidate from Indiana, met with Trump at his New Jersey retreat.

"He didn’t seem defeated in the least bit—he was very fired up, very upbeat," Banks told Fox News of Trump’s attitude, just a day after the FBI raided his home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

"He said we are going to like his decision and it is only a matter of time before he will make that decision known," Banks told Fox News, adding that Trump "enjoyed encouragement" from RSC members Tuesday to "get the decision out sooner rather than later."

Click here to read more on the story: GOP Rep. Banks says Trump 'fired up' after FBI raid, 'made up his mind' on 2024: 'Going to like his decision'

Former CBS reporter Dan Rather expounded on his feelings on the FBI raiding former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home Monday night in a post on Substack.

Rather and New York Times bestselling author Elliot Kirschner co-wrote a piece on Tuesday titled "The FBI Comes A-Knockin'" that praised the actions of the FBI as a time for Trump to "face the law."

Read more.

Member of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Jim Banks is meeting with former President Trump tonight at Bedminster with about a dozen members of the Republican Study Committee in a pre-scheduled huddle to discuss the Biden administration’s attempts to “undo the Trump agenda” – but news of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago is looming large.

“It’s deeply troubling for all of us,” Banks told Fox News of the raid. “There’s a level of outrage among House Republicans like I haven’t seen before – and we’ve been through Russia collusion, two sham impeachments, January 6th. But this is a new level of effort from Democrats to weaponize the FBI/DOJ.”

Banks said he and his colleagues are upset that the Biden administration and FBI have done nothing to alleviate fears that the raid on Trump’s home was politically motivated. “24 hours later, Garland has not appeared before cameras to justify the unprecedented move to raid a former President,” he said.

Banks also pointed to Pelosi and Schumer’s tepid statements on the matter – saying even Democratic congressional leaders have not been able to justify or explain the actions from the Biden DOJ.

“Democrats are having to explain how this raid is not an attack on democratic norms, and they can’t,” Banks said.

Banks said the DOJ and FBI must why an unprecedented step has been taken.

“This lies on the shoulders of Biden, Garland, and Wray. The fact that they haven’t done that yet is stunning,” Banks said.

Banks said when Republicans take back the majority in the House next year, Rep. Jim Jordan will chair the Judiciary Committee and immediately hearings on this matter that “deserve prime time attention."

As for tonight’s meeting, Banks said his colleagues’ message to Trump is that the House GOP has taken a page from Trump’s playbook and knows how to fight back against the left. He said voters want to see that. If the House GOP doesn’t deliver on it, Banks said Republicans run the risk of letting Democrats keep the White House.

“Our party reflects Trump’s influence in a big way,” Banks said. “If we don’t do what we say we are going to do to before 2024, we won’t win back the White House.”

To Americans watching the news of the raid Banks offered this message: “The House GOP is fighting back. We stand United in outrage against the Biden White House and DOJ, and we stand with President Trump.”

The FBI would not let Trump attorneys watch as they raided former President Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago early Monday morning, a source familiar told Fox News.

Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida was raided by the FBI. Trump, at the time, was in New York City.

Read more.

“The country deserves a thorough and immediate explanation of what led to the events of Monday,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a Tuesday statement. “Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately.”

Read more.

An Ohio congressman is demanding answers about the FBI's raid on former President Trump's estate on Monday morning.

Ranking member Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, wrote a letter to FBI director Christopher Wray demanding an "immediate" briefing into the matter.

Read more.

Judiciary Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday said the FBI’s credibility was “one the line” following the agency’s raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“Less than a week ago, I expressed serious concern that what little remains of the FBI’s credibility is on the line following its inconsistent handling of politically sensitive investigations, failure to hold its own employees accountable for misconduct and consistent disregard for congressional oversight,” Grassley said in a statement. “Last night’s raid on the home of a former U.S. president without explanation will only further erode confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department.” 

Grassley said he reiterated his concerns to FBI Director Christopher Wray. He advised said if the agency isn’t transparent about the justification for Monday’s raid and isn’t committed to rooting out political bias, it “will have sealed their own fate.”

“The FBI’s mission and the many patriotic agents who work hard to carry it out will be forever overshadowed by the distrust the bureau has sown,” Grassley said.

He added: “The Justice Department as a whole bears responsibility in upholding the public trust, and in a matter so consequential to our democratic process, Attorney General Garland also owes the American people full transparency.” 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), a national group working to elect Democratic candidates to the House, insists Republicans are putting their midterm election chances at risk as they tie "themselves into knots defending" former President Donald Trump after his Mar-a-Lago estate was raided by the FBI on Monday.

In a statement shared first with Fox News Digital, Chris Taylor, a spokesperson for the DCCC, insisted that "voters will see the difference" between Republicans' defense of Trump and the agenda Democrats have prioritized in recent days.

Read more.

Additional details continue to emerge regarding events leading up to the FBI's raid Monday of former President Trump's home in southern Florida.

On Monday evening, FBI agents executed a search warrant of Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago in connection to an ongoing Department of Justice probe into whether Trump kept classified government documents after departing the White House in January 2021, sources told Fox News Digital. 

Read more.

“Monday's brazen raid was not just unprecedented, it was completely unnecessary. President Trump and his representatives have gone to painstaking lengths in communicating and cooperating with the appropriate agencies – something that is routine for all similar instances,” Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich said in a statement to Fox News.

“These disgusting actions by Joe Biden's administration would make a third-world dictator blush. However, in the Democrats' desperate attempt to retain power, they have unified and grown the entire conservative movement." 

Sources tell Fox News that the search warrant for the FBI raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was signed by a federal magistrate indicating that this is a criminal warrant emanating out of the criminal division of the FBI, not a national security warrant emanating from the NATSEC division. A national security would have been signed by a FISA judge. 

Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania says that the FBI has confiscated his cell phone.

Perry, in an exclusive statement, told Fox News on Tuesday that while traveling with his family earlier in the day, he was approached by three FBI agents who handed him a warrant and requested that he turn over his cell phone.

Read more.

The federal judge who reportedly signed off on the raid at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence donated thousands of dollars to former President Barack Obama's presidential campaign and victory fund in 2008.

Bruce Reinhart, a Florida federal magistrate judge, donated $1,000 to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and added $1,000 more to the Obama Victory Fund that same cycle, according to federal filings.

Read more.

Democrats are desperate to stay on message, touting week of wins on Twitter while mostly staying quiet about the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Trump's Florida residence was raided Monday after a warrant was obtained by the FBI, purportedly to search for confidential government documents the former president is accused of holding onto after leaving office. 

Read more.

Vulnerable House Democrats are staying largely silent following the FBI's raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Fox News Digital reached out to each of the 21 Democrats running for re-election in districts considered "toss-ups," as well as "lean" and "likely Republican," and asked them for their reaction to the unannounced raid that has drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle.

Read more.

Former senior Obama advisor David Axelrod joined the flocks of leftists approving of the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home on Monday, despite even more Twitter backlash.

Shortly after the news broke of several FBI agents executing a search warrant on Trump’s Florida property, many liberal media pundits cheered at the sight, going so far as to celebrate it.

Read more.

People in New York and D.C. weighed in on the FBI’s raid at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, with some calling it foul play while others celebrated the search. 

"It's 100% selective justice," one New Yorker told Fox News. "If this were the other way around someone would be crucified."

Read more.

Former President Trump on Tuesday continued to excoriate 'Radical Left' Democrats after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago residence. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the raid was a continuation of Russian collusion allegations, the Impeachment "Hoax," and more.

"To make matters it is all, in my opinion, a coordinated attack with Radical Left Democrat state & local D.A.'s & A.G.'s," Trump said.

In a follow-up post, he accused President Biden of supposedly knowing about the raid, "just like he knew all about Hunter's 'deals.'"

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., issued a warning to Americans following the FBI's raid on former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence that "they can do it to you." On "America Reports" Tuesday, Blackburn also outlined questions she hopes to make FBI Director Christopher Wray answer. 

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Former President Trump on Tuesday blasted the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida as a political "Witch Hunt" that represented an assault on patriotic Americans. 

"These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," Trump bemoaned in a statement sent out via email by Trump’s Save America political action committee. 

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Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he believes the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Florida home will make him more likely to run for president in 2024. 

Graham, R-S.C., also demanded more information on the impetus for the raid during comments at an event with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. 

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CNN legal analyst Paul Callan called the Justice Department's raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago home a "daring and dangerous move" that was "not warranted" if it was only about Trump holding onto classified documents after his time in office.

During CNN’s "At This Hour with Kate Bolduan" on Wednesday, the host spoke to legal analyst Paul Callan, who expressed hope that the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have something more serious on Trump than currents reports indicate, otherwise their raid on Trump’s massive West Palm Beach residence went too far.

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Veteran political strategists James Carville and Ed Rollins aren't quite seeing eye to eye on the political impact the FBI's raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home could have on the midterm elections.

Speaking with Fox News Digital Tuesday, Carville, who was an adviser to former President Bill Clinton, said there wasn't enough information about the raid to know just yet what it could mean for voters heading to the polls. 

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The White House on Tuesday maintained that it was not given any advance notice of the FBI's unprecedented raid on former President Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago, saying President Biden is  committed to the rule of law and Justice Department investigations "free of political influence." 

Trump’s private residence in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided by the FBI Monday morning, when the former president was in New York City. The raid was connected to an investigation into classified records Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to his home when he left office in January 2021.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday dodged a question about the FBI's Monday search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home during a Kentucky press conference. 

"I'm here to talk about the flood and recovery from the flood," McConnell, R-Ky., said when asked about the raid. 

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The White House, Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI were all silent when asked Tuesday whether Americans deserve to know more about why former President Trump's residence was raided.

"We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information," a White House official told Fox News Digital, repeating a previous statement.

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Several Democrats who supported the raid of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate Monday previously criticized him for allegedly trying to "weaponize" the Justice Department on a number of different issues.

In a September 2019 tweet, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of trying to "weaponize" the Justice Department after it began investigating automakers who had reached a deal with California regarding fuel efficiency standards.

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday called for full "transparency and accountability" from the federal government following the FBI raid and former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“Even before yesterday's events at Mar-a-Lago, America was already dangerously divided,” Hogan said in a statement. “These are unprecedented circumstances that require unprecedented transparency and accountability from our government institutions. The American people deserve to know all the facts as soon as possible, and I call on the Biden administration to release—at a minimum—the documents authorizing the FBI search.”

He added: “If the federal government cannot ultimately provide overwhelming evidence that action was absolutely necessary, then it will only undermine faith in democracy and the rule of law, and further divide Americans.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence demanded that the "appearance of continued partisanship" by the Justice Department be addressed after the "unprecedented" raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

"I share the deep concern of millions of Americans over the unprecedented search of the personal residence of President Trump," Pence tweeted Tuesday. "No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history."

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday paved the way for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service – a move the former president has long pushed back on.

The decision is a blow to Trump, who may seek emergency intervention measures from the Supreme Court in an attempt to temporarily block any release of these tax records.

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Sen. Tim Scott Tuesday told Fox News Digital that the FBI's Monday raid on former President Trump's Florida home reinforces concerns he has about the agency becoming too political. 

The FBI raid is "shocking, stunning unprecedented without any question. It raises serious concerns from my perspective," Scott said.

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Sources told Fox News on Tuesday that investigators from the Justice Department visited Mar-a-Lago in June for a meeting about turning over records as part of an investigation into documents former President Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to his private residence when he left office in January 2021.

Trump's attorneys were present at that meeting and the sources say the former president himself stopped in to say hello for a few minutes.

The meeting came months after the National Archives -- with assistance from the Justice Department -- was able to get 15 boxes of documents sent back to Washington, D.C. after expressing concern they were in Florida.

The June meeting was about additional documents that were being sought. But following it, the Justice Department and FBI felt they weren't getting the same cooperation they had been receiving earlier in the probe, according to a source with knowledge of negotiations between Trump's team and the federal entities.

The perceived lack of cooperation is why a search warrant was requested and ultimately executed on Monday, Aug. 8 at Trump's Palm Beach property. 

Fox News' David Spunt, Bill Mears and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Floridians outside Mar-a-Lago shared their reactions to the FBI's search of former President Trump’s residence.

"I just feel like this isn't Russia. This isn't Venezuela. This isn't China. This is the United States of America," Adriene Chockett, from Lakeworth Beach, told Fox News. "And these things should not be happening in our country."

"I'm just doing my small part. Just standing here for a few hours with the American flag," Chockett continued. "I want to help save America. Save our country. Save our rights."

For more on this story: Trump supporters outside Mar-a-Lago say FBI search was political 

After being endorsed by former President Donald Trump in their campaigns, Trump-backed candidates quickly came to the former president's defense after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago home Monday.

The FBI raided Trump's home on Monday, in search of classified materials that Trump allegedly took back to his residence following his time in the White House.

Following the raid, Trump-endorsed midterm candidates raced to Twitter to defend the former Republican President.

For more on this story: Trump-backed candidates rush to his defense after 'politically motivated' Mar-a-Lago raid

Michael Cohen, a former attorney for former President Trump, declared on Tuesday that "the end is near" for his former boss after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

"Here’s what Trump’s attorneys should be telling him: ‘when the fbi raids, all you can do is prepare for jail.’" Cohen tweeted. "No one is above the law!"

He tweeted the message along with the hashtag "#KarmaBoomerang" and an image of an uncomfortable-looking Trump with the caption: "The End is Near…"

For more on this story: Michael Cohen declares 'the end is near' for Trump after FBI raid

Rep. Jim Banks and members of the House Republican Study Committee are expected to meet with former President Trump at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey, Tuesday evening, Fox News has learned.

Banks, R-Ind., the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is expected to bring a dozen members of the panel to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster to meet with the former president.

It is unclear, at this point, which RSC members will join Banks. 

For more on this story: House Republicans to meet with Trump at Bedminster, following Mar-a-Lago FBI raid

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is questioning how "detached" President Biden is from "his own administration," after the White House said it was not given "notice" of the FBI’s raid on former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump’s private residence in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided by the FBI Monday morning, when the former president was in New York City. The raid was connected to an investigation into classified records Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to home when he left office in January 2021.

When asked for comment Monday, a White House official told Fox News Digital: "We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information."

For more on this story: Johnson questions how 'detached' Biden is from his admin, after not being notified of FBI Mar-a-Lago raid

President Biden, speaking Tuesday while signing the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law, made no mention of the FBI's raid last night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

Biden also took no questions from reporters following the speech.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign appears to be fundraising off the FBI raid at former President Donald Trump residence at Mar-a-Lago. 

"Every ‘But her emails’ hat or shirt sold helps @onwardtogether partners defend democracy, build a progressive bench, and fight for our values," Clinton tweeted on Tuesday. "Just saying!"

Clinton used a personal email server to house classified information during her time as Secretary of State, which became a major issue of contention during her 2016 presidential run against Trump.

For more on this story: Hillary Clinton appears to fundraise off Mar-a-Lago search

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted to the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday.

Pelosi says she doesn't have any insider information, but expects that authorities must have had "justification" for the raid. The FBI executed a search warrant on Trump's resort on Monday, seeking documents that the former president had taken from the White House while leaving office in 2021.

"All I know about that is what is in the public domain. I was surprised that it flashed on my phone last evening, so I don't really have too much to say except that to have a visit like that, you need a warrant. To have a warrant, you need justification. And that says that no one is above the law, not even a president or a former president of the United States," Pelosi told MSNBC's Morning Joe.

For more on this story: Nancy Pelosi reacts to FBI raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, says authorities had 'justification'

Former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home was raided by the FBI Monday morning in an unprecedented move by the bureau, and one connected to an investigation into records Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to his private residence when he left office in January 2021.

Earlier this year, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) said Trump took 15 boxes of presidential records to his personal residence in Florida. Those boxes allegedly contained "classified national security information," and official correspondence between Trump and foreign heads of state.

NARA notified Congress in February that the agency recovered the 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago and "identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes."

For more on this story: Trump raid linked to DOJ, National Archives probe into classified docs allegedly taken to Mar-a-Lago

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sounding off Tuesday on the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago.

In a tweet, Cuomo says the Justice Department "must immediately explain the reason for its raid and it must be more than a search for inconsequential archives or it will be viewed as a political tactic and undermine any future credible investigation and legitimacy of January 6 investigations."

For more on this story: Cuomo says Justice Department 'must immediately explain' Trump raid or risk undermining January 6 probe.

President Biden is speaking Tuesday for the first time since former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was raided by the FBI.