The conservative group Heritage Foundation has criticized the Biden administration’s approval and use of deadly force in the FBI’s search of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago vacation home in Florida, citing any political leanings. He said Americans who own the United States should also be “outraged” and “tremble to the core of their bones.”
The August 2022 search was part of a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into President Trump’s alleged handling of classified records.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged improper retention of classified records included “operational orders” prepared during discovery that revealed that the FBI believed the purpose of the Mar-a-Lago raid was to seize “classified information, NDI, and U.S. government records,” as described in the search warrant.
According to court filings, the order also includes a “policy statement” regarding the “use of deadly force,” which states that “Department of Justice law enforcement officers will use deadly force when necessary.” may be exercised.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the FBI told Fox News that it “followed standard procedures” when executing the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, as it does with all other search warrants. The FBI added that standard procedures also include standard policy statements restricting the use of lethal force. “No one ordered any additional steps to be taken, and no deviations from standards were made in this case,” the FBI said.
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Former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
The filing states that Justice Department and FBI agents “planned to bring ‘standard equipment weapons,’ ‘ammunition,’ ‘handcuffs,’ and ‘medium and large bolt cutters,’ but brought ‘unmarked polo shirts.’ “They were also instructed to wear a collared shirt or a collared shirt.” and to continue to “conceal law enforcement equipment.” ”
On Wednesday, a person familiar with special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after he served as vice president under the Obama administration confirmed that the Justice Department’s standard policy statement on the use of lethal force was also included in the operations orders for the raid on Biden’s Delaware compound.
The Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit conservative think tank in Washington, DC that promotes and develops conservative public policy, released a statement on Wednesday about the FBI’s authorization to use lethal force during the Mar-a-Lago attack.
“Americans of all political leanings should be outraged and frankly shaken to the bone by the latest details about the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago attack,” the Foundation and Heritage Foundation said in a statement. Action President Kevin Roberts said. “President Biden’s attorney general authorized the FBI to raid the homes of former presidents and future presidential candidates and use deadly force, without prior notice and regardless of who was home. .”
Flashback: President Trump says his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, home is ‘under siege’ by FBI agents
The image, included in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, purportedly shows boxes of records stored in a lake room bathroom and shower at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. (Department of Justice via Associated Press)
“President Biden’s use of the federal government as a weapon not only against his political opponents, but also against parents, people of faith and conservatives throughout his term is unprecedented and a grave threat to our constitutional republic,” the statement continued. “Political leaders in Washington must stand up to hold this administration accountable. And as I have said before, the FBI must be started from the ground up and rebuilt from the ground up. The very fabric of our nation depends on it.”
The Trump campaign accused other media outlets of trying to justify Biden’s authorization of the use of force against his political opponents.
“This is a sickening attempt to cover up Joe Biden, the most corrupt president in history and a threat to our democracy,” Caroline Leavitt, national spokesperson for the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “The good news is that the American people don’t believe the pro-Democrat, pro-Biden election interference propaganda that the Washington Post is constantly peddling, which is why President Trump continues to crush evil Joe Biden in the polls.”
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President Trump addresses the media outside a courtroom in New York City on May 13. (Seth Wenig/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spoke on Wednesday’s podcast about authorizing the use of deadly force, saying the FBI anticipates potential conflicts with the Secret Service.
Cruz read from documents released on the podcast that described the FBI’s readiness to use lethal force if agents encounter resistance.
“So they anticipate that the Secret Service may actively resist the FBI, and they are prepared to engage,” Cruz said. “And they’re ready to work on an order that explicitly authorizes deadly force. What the heck is that?”
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi also appeared on Fox News Wednesday morning to express shock and anger at the FBI’s authorization to use deadly force during the Mar-a-Lago attack.
Armed guards stand outside former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida after FBI agents searched the property in August 2022. (Aron Skye/Fox News Digital)
Bondi, who had been in the New York City courtroom with Trump all day Tuesday, said she received the news as she left the courtroom.
“This is truly tragic for all the fine men and women of the Secret Service who were at Mar-a-Lago,” she said. “This was a safe place. I have been involved in executing search warrants, but this was nothing out of the ordinary. Mar-a-Lago was under siege from land, sea and air.”
“This was nothing out of the ordinary, but I’m hearing now that medical personnel and EMTs were also there in case there was a shootout. Can you believe it?” Bondi said. added. “No. There was nothing standard about this. What you do is coordinate with other federal agencies before you go in there.”
Trump was indicted as a result of Smith’s investigation into his possession of classified material. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges from Smith’s investigation, including knowingly retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
Trump was also charged with three counts in a supplemental indictment in the investigation, including willful retention of national defense information and two counts of obstruction.
Trump has pleaded not guilty.
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The federal judge overseeing the case, Judge Eileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida, has indefinitely postponed the trial in Smith’s case, which was scheduled to begin on May 20.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Fox News White House correspondent Jackie Heinrich contributed to this report.
