Can you possibly conceive how closely the judge that signed this warrant went through the affidavits in support? Often a policeman can write an excellent affidavit in support of a search warrant in three pages. Good policemen and women do them perfectly. They rarely make mistakes. Only the best FBI agents would be working on a case involving a crime committed (allegedly) by a former president. The FBI would be in charge of putting together the affidavit, supporting documents, etc., setting forth why they have probable cause to believe that there was evidence of a crime in Mar-a-Lago and that the evidence was subject to being destroyed or in danger of going “missing.”
The affidavit would almost surely be one of the most comprehensive and carefully documented in all of history. And you can be sure that the judge put the FBI through its paces, perhaps even taking testimony (in private) to support the affidavit if the judge had any questions. The judge signing that warrant would know that it is likely the most consequential warrant ever and will be the most scrutinized.
The New York Times says that the FBI was after the files, the Top-Secret files that Trump was accused of taking and for which a grand jury had been empaneled. We at this website have written at least two to three times a week that the files posed at least as big a danger to Trump as January 6th because A) the crime is almost self-proving, and B) It is just so odd. There are very few explanations for him having those files that don’t involve some kind of traitorous behavior.
I am told the safe that FBI agents accessed Monday while executing their search was the one in Trump's office at Mar-a-Lago.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 9, 2022 [1]
And so, of course, the MAGA reaction was reserved, contemplative, concerned, and centered around what is fair and just in a society where no one is above the law… pffft.
First, let’s start with the typical MAGA response, the ones that are pro-police:
DEFUND THE FBI!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene๐บ๐ธ (@RepMTG) August 9, 2022 [2]
There is a great deal of misinformation out there. There is NO CONCEIVABLE WAY this “came from the White House.” If there was EVER a case that the White House would stay away from, this would be it. This is not the Trump White House:
Update from Eric Trump. pic.twitter.com/KPMDbDN2GJ [3]
— Ron Filipkowski ๐บ๐ฆ (@RonFilipkowski) August 9, 2022 [4]
And how does Kilmeade know it’s outrageous? What if the FBI found the U.S. military’s Eastern European war doctrine/plans in the safe?
Below typical. Don’t even bother to hear what it is they found. What if it was a dead body?
Abolish the FBI.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) August 8, 2022 [5]
Jesse Watters demands Chris Wray's firing. I'm sure Biden will get right on that ๐ pic.twitter.com/jILmBvO0R5 [6]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 8, 2022 [7]
Donald Trump hired Christopher Wray.
MAGA reaction to FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/6DO9BF05pi [8]
— Ron Filipkowski ๐บ๐ฆ (@RonFilipkowski) August 8, 2022 [9]
The only person with nothing to say is Donald Trump:
Reporter tries to ask Trump for his reaction. No response pic.twitter.com/QkadoDz3oq [10]
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 9, 2022 [11]
Guilty pleasure in adding this:
The look on your face when you learn that the @fbi [12] just raided Mar-a-Lardo and #TFG [13] is shitting a brick!!!#KarmaBoomerang [14] pic.twitter.com/Na9x85TrNA [15]
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) August 8, 2022 [16]
Lara Trump: Look, my father-in-law, as anybody knows, who's been around him a lot, loves to save things like newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, photographs, documents that he had every authority, will, to take from the white house. pic.twitter.com/WydLLLjo8r [17]
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 9, 2022 [18]
And no judge would sign a warrant saying, “Crack his safe and take his newspaper clippings!”
Below, perfect:
but i was led to believe in 2016 that handling of classified documents was the biggest issue the country faced https://t.co/M89BWWskpU [19]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 9, 2022 [20]
Inevitable:
And the GOP whatabout game begins…. pic.twitter.com/Niu7ZVepOG [21]
— Jason (@skidz7) August 9, 2022 [22]
A tweet from the happiest man in America tonight. pic.twitter.com/Wxtueu4IVG [23]
— Ron Filipkowski ๐บ๐ฆ (@RonFilipkowski) August 9, 2022 [24]
Understated:
I will support a complete dismantling and elimination of the democrat brown shirts known as the FBI. This is too much for our republic to withstand @charliekirk11 [25] @JackPosobiec [26] @kelliwardaz [27] @KariLake [28] @andybiggs4az [29] @GOPLeader [30] @DonaldJTrumpJr [31]
— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) August 8, 2022 [32]
Below: He doesn’t care if Trump actually committed a crime. He doesn’t care if the Democrats didn’t commit a crime. It is tit for tat:
The Democrats should be absolutely certain that we are going to do to them exactly what they are doing to us. Raids, handcuffs and solitary confinement go both ways. Our turn is coming!
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) August 8, 2022 [33]
โIt almost feels like a preemptive coupโ pic.twitter.com/dJWdvdRMPT [34]
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 8, 2022 [35]
And we’ll end with the big bad threat from Kevin McCarthy:
Attorney General Garland: preserve your documents and clear your calendar. pic.twitter.com/dStAjnwbAT [36]
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 9, 2022 [37]
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, with Nicole Hickman