Former President Donald Trump responded to the FBI's newly uncovered deadly force authorization granted during their 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago regarding Trump's alleged retention of classified documents after leaving office in 2020.
The FBI's deadly force authorization was made public after a court document was unsealed on Tuesday, nearly two years after the raid, which was authorized by United States Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The former president took to Truth Social shortly after the court document was unsealed.
"WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the ‘Icebox,’ and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY," Trump wrote.
"HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE — 25TH AMENDMENT!" Trump added of the president. WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the “Icebox,” and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A… pic.twitter.com/rWbCnL8S40
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 21, 2024
"Law enforcement officers of the Department of Justice may use deadly force when necessary," reads the unsealed Tuesday court filing. FBI agents planned to bring standard issue weapons, ammo, handcuffs, and "medium and large sized bolt cutters." However, the FBI was instructed to keep law enforcement equipment concealed and don "unmarked polo or collard shirts."
FBI agents were also prohibited from engaging in deadly force in the event of a fleeing suspect, per the unsealed court filing.
"If feasible and if to do so would not increase the danger to the officer or others, a verbal warning to submit to the authority of the officer shall be given prior to the use of deadly force," the court filing continues, further adding warning shots were prohibited.
FBI agents were also instructed to engage with Trump and his Secret Service if he arrived at Mar-a-Lago during the raid.
"Should [Mar-a-Lago] Guest Reception be unwilling to provide a list of occupied guest rooms, FBI Search Team will knock on each guest room door to determine occupation status," the court filing continues. "FBI will request a map, list of rooms and skeleton key/card for all rooms."
Among commingled documents retained by the former president include unclassified schedules, daily task lists, newspapers, memoranda, briefing books, economic reports, draft press statements, and draft letters along with other classified materials like daily briefing books reportedly containing sensitive information, decision memo packages, talking points for State Department calls, and other documents marked as classified.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to his charges, referring to the case as a "witch hunt," a term he has frequently used when referring to his other legal cases.
