On the morning of August 8th, dozens of FBI agents stormed Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. It was an unprecedented action, as the FBI has never raided the private home of any president, past or present. They tore into Mar-a-Lago, searching for “presidential records or any possibly classified material.” Trump’s safe was broken into as well.
What was the accusation used to justify such a naked power grab? The White House has not released a formal statement, leading many Americans to believe this is a continuation of the January 6th witch hunt. Even “Never Trump” Republicans felt the need to declare this raid as an abuse of power and a step too far.
Legal cases are building against Trump across the country, dating back to 2020. What if the FBI and DOJ find Trump guilty? In that case, this will provide ammunition for his enemies, who will use it to ensure he will be legally barred from ever running for any office again, most notably the Oval Office.
On the night of the raid, Trump supporters gathered outside Mar-a-Lago to show support for their president. More importantly, elected Republicans have voiced strong support for Trump and condemnation of the raid. Representatives Paul Gosar and MTG, the revolutionary vanguard of the Republican party, have used this opportunity to push the Overton window towards curtailing the FBI.
However, a few are not understanding the gravitas of the matter. FBI-supportive Sean Hannity stated on his news broadcast:
“ I used to always say that 99% of rank and file FBI agents put their lives at risk and work hard to keep this country safe. Tonight I say, it’s about 95%.”
Hannity’s words fall upon the deaf ears of many Americans, who have long since stopped overwhelmingly supporting the FBI and the Justice Department. Instead, he finds himself in the company of Attorney General Merrick Garland, who today said:
“The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants. Every day they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety while safeguarding our civil rights.”
Garland personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant against Trump. He stated that it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means as an alternative to a search and to narrowly scope any search that is taken.
He defended the agents’ professionalism in the raid, who, according to Eric Trump, did not allow Trump’s attorneys to watch them as they tore into drawers and breached his safe.
Over half the country, however, finds these banal, boilerplate explanations to be a facade for the partisan use of Federal force. Mobilized Republicans and Independents alike are unifying behind Trump and against the FBI.
In light of this, some on the left fear Trump may use this as fuel to boost his 2024 Presidential election campaign. Their concern, at the very least, seems to be grounded. As the DOJ and FBI continue to raise the ire of Americans with their unsatisfying, shady operations, it feeds the growth of Trump, Gosar, MTG, and a new generation of conservatives. As the left fears and the right hopes, the time does appear to be ripe for Donald Trump to announce his campaign.
