The FBI has responded to baseless allegations made by former President Donald Trump and some GOP lawmakers, who falsely claimed that President Joe Biden had approved his assassination during a search conducted at the Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022.
In a recent fundraising email, Trump responded to right-wing media reports that provided a distorted interpretation of a newly-unsealed court filing in his classified documents case. In the email, he falsely accused Biden of being “locked & loaded” and ready to take him out.
In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, Trump revealed that he had been presented with reports stating that Biden’s DOJ had given authorization for the FBI to use deadly force during their search of the property for classified documents.
The false claims made by Trump are based on a significant misrepresentation of a standard policy memo. This memo was included in recently unsealed documents that were filed by Trump’s own lawyers in his classified documents case in Florida on Tuesday.
The agents prepared a ‘Law Enforcement Operations Order’ memo in anticipation of conducting a search at Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8, 2022. A magistrate judge had granted permission to search the premises based on probable cause that evidence related to unlawfully retained national defense information and obstruction of justice would be found.
Agents found approximately 100 documents with classification markings during their search. This discovery came months after the government had subpoenaed Trump to turn over any remaining documents in his possession. The government had already gathered evidence suggesting that Trump had misled his own lawyers into signing a false certification claiming that all classified documents had been returned.
According to a statement from the FBI on Tuesday evening, the search conducted by the agency followed standard protocol, adhering to their policy on the use of deadly force. The statement clarified that no additional measures were ordered or taken, and there were no deviations from the usual procedure.
According to several former officials from the FBI and the Department of Justice, it is widely acknowledged that the inclusion of the deadly force policy is a standard practice.
According to former DOJ official and ABC News contributor Sarah Isgur, the FBI has a standard policy regarding the use of deadly force when executing a search warrant. Isgur explained on Twitter that if there is a perceived danger to the agents or the public, and there are no alternatives, the agents are authorized to use deadly force. This policy is in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved in such operations.
Trump, along with two co-defendants, has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges brought against them, vehemently denying any wrongdoing.
Trump’s attorneys, in their filing on Tuesday, did not make any allegations regarding the inclusion of the policy indicating that Biden was planning to assassinate Trump. It remains uncertain if they had shared this information with Trump before it was unsealed, as it was part of the extensive discovery in his case.
During a recent court proceeding in his New York state criminal hush money case, Trump stated that he became aware of the filing after being “shown Reports.” However, Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene later revealed on X that she took it upon herself to inform Trump about the false claim that the “Biden DOJ and FBI were planning to assassinate” him.
During the search at Mar-a-Lago, the agents were well aware that Trump would not be present at the property. This is because the search took place during the off-season, when Trump usually stays at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey.
In case Trump appeared at the property during the search, the FBI personnel on site had a contingency plan prepared. They would be ready to interact with him and his Secret Service security detail. It is important to note that there was no suggestion of the situation escalating into violence. Instead, the plan aimed to designate points of contact responsible for communicating with members of Trump’s detail.
The order also strengthens the testimony of Steve D’Antuono, the former director of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. field office. In his previous testimony to Congress, he emphasized that the agents executing the warrant were determined not to create a show of force.
During an exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, D’Antuono clarified that the deployment of law enforcement officers was not intended as a show of force. He emphasized that there were no raid jackets or FBI vehicles involved. D’Antuono also debunked the rumors of helicopters and a large number of personnel descending on the scene, stating that such portrayals were completely untrue. “That is not how we played it,” he emphasized.
Agents on the scene were given instructions to dress in a ‘business casual’ attire, with a preference for ‘unmarked polo or collared shirts’, and to conceal any law enforcement equipment they were carrying.
During a floor speech on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump for making false accusations against the Justice Department. Trump had wrongly claimed that the department had given authorization for the FBI to use “deadly force” during their search at Mar-a-Lago.
Schumer argues that Trump’s words have the potential to incite violence, putting people’s lives at risk and eroding trust in the democratic system.
According to Schumer, Donald Trump’s false accusation, where he suggests that his political opponents are plotting to harm him, is completely unacceptable. Schumer believes that this kind of rhetoric can potentially incite political violence.