World News: OnPolitics: The 'unprecedented' search at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home

Tuesday, August 9

Secret service agents stand at the gate of Mar-a-Lago after the FBI issued warrants at August 8, 2022 in Palm Beach, Fla.

OnPolitics special edition: Search at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home

Federal agents searched former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida last night.

Happy Tuesday, OnPolitics readers!

It's Ella, with a special edition of OnPolitics on the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.

What happened?

Federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago last night as part of a federal investigation into allegations he removed classified documents from the White House when he left office, two people familiar with the search told USA TODAY.

Experts including a presidential historian and former FBI leader called the raid "unprecedented" and a "big deal," while Trump condemned the raid as "not necessary or appropriate."

Main takeaways

•	A law enforcement action on the home of a former U.S. president has little precedent in American politics — if any.
•	The raid marks an escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.
•	Under the law, any search would need to be authorized by a federal judge after finding probably cause that a crime had been committed and that evidence of the crime exists in the location to be searched.

Trump supporters protested raid

Trump loyalists descended on his Mar-a-Lago estate last night to protest the FBI's search, the Palm Beach Post reported.

More than 50 protesters, many in patriotic garb, waved Trump flags and paraded in cars blasting songs like Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" or AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." The vehicles also sported Trump-Pence 2020 signage alongside American flags, except that former Vice President Mike Pence's name had been struck through.

Protesters speculated that the FBI searched the estate to look for National Archive records being kept there and questioned the legitimacy of the raid.

"You can't trust the FBI," one Florida resident said. "They're doing something stupid."

What happens next?

At this point, it's unknown what documents or other items might have been removed from the property.

Trump and many of his key allies are under investigation for a range of issues, from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack to Trump family business dealings. There's no word yet on how Monday's law enforcement action could impact those probes.

Want to learn more?

•	Watergate 'in reverse'? Trump compared Monday's search to the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. But historians, legal analysts and former FBI officials said the reframing of the FBI action as a political attack is inaccurate — and ignores the potentially significant legal peril the president is facing.
•	Live updates: Follow USA TODAY's live coverage of the aftermath of the search.
•	Watch live: A live feed from Reuters news service showed local police guarding the entrance and cars driving by, with some voicing and showcase their opinion on Trump. Watch it here.