Former President Trump late Thursday called for the release of the warrant allowing the FBI to raid his Mar-a-Lago home earlier this week.
“Release the Documents Now!” he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump’s comments came hours after Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the Justice Department had moved to unseal the warrant.
The former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence was searched by the FBI on Monday, possibly to find classified information that the former president had illegally brought home after the end of his time in office.
Trump said he was “encouraging” the immediate release of documents related to the FBI search of his home, adding that he wanted the public to see the warrant despite its being written by “radical left Democrats.”
“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents,” he wrote.
“Even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me, much as they have done for the last 6 years…” the former president added.
Shortly after Garland’s announcement on Thursday, a judge set a 3 p.m. deadline for Trump and his lawyers to oppose the move to unseal the warrant.
The Justice Department has not yet shared information explaining the reasoning behind the search, and many in addition to Trump are calling for the release of the search warrant to the public.
Garland said that he signed off on the move but did not provide further information on the reasoning behind the raid.
“Federal law, long-standing department rules and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details as to the basis of the search at this time,” Garland said.
The raid took place following a summer of public hearings arranged by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“This unprecedented political weaponization of law enforcement is inappropriate and highly unethical,” wrote Trump in his post calling for the release of documents related to the Mar-a-Lago search.
In 2021, the Justice Department investigated the former president upon request from the National Archives after classified materials were found at his Mar-a-Lago residence.