Staff Reports
On May 21, 2024, newly released court documents have disclosed the staggering revelation that former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was subjected to an FBI raid in August 2022, where the FBI was authorized to use “deadly force.” The unsealed court documents stated that the Department of Justice had given the green light for FBI agents to use “deadly force” during the raid. The documents also revealed that agents were instructed to conceal their “law enforcement equipment” and come equipped with “ammo,” “handcuffs,” and “medium and large sized bolt cutters.” Trump’s attorneys, Todd Blanche and Christopher Kise, described the nearly 10-hour search as “unconstitutional” and claimed that it extended to areas such as the estate’s gym, kitchen, and the bedrooms of Melania and Barron Trump.
The FBI didn’t want to raid President Trump’s house, but AG Merrick Garland overruled them
By doing this, Garland authorized the use of deadly force
He knew exactly what he was doing
He wanted a shootout in Mar a Lago pic.twitter.com/VNdYSH8NcV
— Joshua T. Hosler (@JoshuaHosler) May 22, 2024
Deputy Assistant Attorney General George Toscas allegedly expressed indifference to the optics of the operation, while Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that he personally approved the decision to obtain a search warrant. The court filing also detailed exchanges between Trump’s lawyer and a prosecutor regarding the retrieval of documents.
These revelations have sparked substantial discussion on social media, with “Mar-a-Lago” and “Use of Deadly Force” trending. RealClearInvestigation’s Julie Kelly shared the documents on her social media account and referred to the authorization of “deadly force” as “Gestapo.” In response, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, referring to President Joe Biden as a “SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY,” and asserted that Biden was “MENTALLY FIT UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE,” in addition to mentioning the 25th Amendment.
The Trump campaign reacted to the news by sending out email alerts and a fundraising pitch to “STOP THE WITCH HUNT.” Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump has faced postponement, and the trial date had been set for May 20, 2024, before being vacated. Additionally, the hush money case against Trump, brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, is ongoing.
As Trump has become the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, it remains to be seen how this news about the “deadly force” authorization during the Mar-a-Lago raid may impact the narrative surrounding Biden and his administration’s alleged politicization of the Department of Justice against political opponents. This development may potentially bolster Trump’s position in the upcoming election.
