Florida – Once again, we are seeing Trump do what we often see him do, which is take it out of context, fundraise off of it, and whip people up. This time, he has taken a standard legal phrase from a search warrant for his Florida residence and twisted it into a sensational claim that President Biden had orchestrated a plot against his life.
Former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy and concern with his latest claim regarding an FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022. Trump suggested that the standard language in the FBI search warrant indicated that President Joe Biden had authorized agents to use lethal force against him.
Search Warrant Misconstrued
The controversy stems from a court filing that detailed the procedures for the FBI’s search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, where he had stored classified national security documents after his presidency. The filing, adhering to typical FBI protocols, mentioned that agents are permitted to use deadly force if facing imminent danger.
However, Trump interpreted these standard terms as a direct threat against his life, vocalizing this during various communications, including a fundraising email.
“It’s just been revealed that Biden’s DOJ was authorized to use DEADLY FORCE for their DESPICABLE raid in Mar-a-Lago. You know they’re just itching to do the unthinkable,” Trump stated in the email, escalating the rhetoric by adding, “Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger. He thinks he can frighten me, intimidate me, and KNOCK ME DOWN!”
Former President Donald Trump also posted on social media.
Reactions from Politicians and Public Figures
Trump’s claims have not gone without notice or rebuke. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced the remarks as “outlandish and dangerous” and urged fellow lawmakers to condemn them to protect democratic values. Similarly, David Axelrod, former White House aide under Barack Obama, criticized Trump’s comments as “patently nuts…and dangerously provocative,” highlighting the potential dangers of such inflammatory rhetoric.
Despite these criticisms, Trump received support from several of his staunch allies. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed Trump’s misinterpretation, alleging on social media that the Justice Department and the FBI had “given the green light” to assassinate Trump. This shared narrative among Trump’s supporters continues to stir significant controversy and division.
The Bigger Picture
On the day the FBI conducted its search, Trump was not in Florida but at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, making the direct threat claim even more questionable. The FBI, responding to the uproar, issued a statement clarifying that the procedures followed during the Mar-a-Lago search were standard and not exceptional.
The search warrant ultimately allowed the FBI to recover over 100 classified documents, some of which were top secret, which Trump is accused of unlawfully retaining. Despite facing 40 felony charges related to these allegations, Trump continues to deny all accusations, and his trial has been indefinitely postponed.
This episode is part of a broader narrative where Trump has consistently claimed, without evidence, that Biden and the Democratic administration are using the justice system to target him politically. His campaign has also responded fiercely to reporting on the fundraising email, calling it “a sickening attempt to run cover for Joe Biden who is the most corrupt president in history and a threat to our democracy.”
AG Responds to Trump’s Claim
Attorney General Merrick Garland strongly refuted former President Donald Trump’s allegations that the FBI had been authorized to kill him during the Mar-a-Lago raid. Speaking to the press, Garland clarified that the claims were not only unfounded but also dangerously misleading.
He explained that the document Trump referred to simply outlined standard Justice Department policies on the use of force, which permit deadly force only if agents face immediate threats. These guidelines, he emphasized, are routine for all searches, including the consensual search of President Biden’s home. Trump’s dramatized narrative of nearly escaping death, used to solicit funds from supporters, was labeled by Garland as a severe distortion of reality.
