FBI agents raided Donald Trump’s residence in Mar-A-Lago, Florida on Monday, in a move the former US president called politically motivated persecution. While the Justice Department has not officially commented on the operation yet, several major US news outlets reported the raid may have been related to boxes of classified documents Trump took with him from the White House, citing “persons familiar” with the matter.
“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump said in a statement released around 7 pm local time on Monday, adding that “nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
According to Trump, the raid was “unannounced” and the agents “even broke into my safe.” He called the operation “not necessary or appropriate,” branding it as a “weaponization” of the justice system by Democrats who “desperately” don’t want him to run for president in 2024.
“What is the difference between this and Watergate,” Trump asked, referring to the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee office in Washington. The scandal eventually forced President Richard Nixon to resign.