FBI agents raid former US president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida
Washington, Aug 9: The FBI has raided Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and residence in Florida and broke open his safe as part of a reported probe into whether he took classified documents from the White House, triggering an angry outburst from the former US president who called it an attempt by the Democrats to block his presidential bid in 2024.
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. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before, Trump said in a statement on Monday.
The FBI search was related to the 15 boxes of documents that Trump took to Mar-a-Lago when he departed the White House in January 2021 -- some of which the National Archives has said were marked classified, according to US media reports.
In January, Trump handed over the documents to the National Archives, and attorneys for the 76-year-old Republican Party leader said they were searching for any more records they may have.
The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment on the raid.
Trump, who was the 45th President of the US, was not at his Palm Beach estate during the search and was in the New York City area.
The dramatic escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of Trump comes as he prepares for a possible third presidential run in 2024. The raid took place amid a separate grand jury investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden, his Democratic Party rival.
After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate, Trump said.
Trump alleged that such an assault could only take place in broken, third-world countries.
Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before, he said.
Trump blamed the Democratic Party who did not want him to run for president in 2024 for the raid, and said the same people also want to stop Republicans from winning in the midterm elections in November.
It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponisation of the justice system, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024...," he said.
He demanded that the lawlessness, political persecution and witch-hunt must be exposed and stopped.
They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States, the former president said.
Trump's son, Eric, told Fox News that "the purpose of the raid, from what they said, was because the National Archives wanted to, you know, corroborate whether or not Donald Trump had any documents in his possession."
In February, the National Archives asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump's handling of White House records.
The National Archives, charged with collecting and sorting presidential material, has previously said at least 15 boxes of White House records were recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort -- including some that were classified.
The estate sits on 20 acres that border the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Florida's Intracoastal Waterway on the other. In 2018, Forbes valued the Mar-a-Lago estate at USD 160 million. Trump keeps a section of the estate private for his family's personal use.
In early June, a handful of investigators made a rare visit to the property seeking more information about potentially classified material from Trump's time in the White House that had been taken to Florida.
Under the Presidential Records Act, documents received and sent by the president are required to be preserved by the office.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders rallied around Trump, their party's de facto leader, who is weighing another run for president in 2024.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel claimed in a statement that Democrats "continually weaponise the bureaucracy against Republicans.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, wrote that he had "seen enough."
"Attorney General (Merrick) Garland: preserve your documents and clear your calendar. I've seen enough. The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponised politicisation," the Republican leader wrote.
But the chair of the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Trump's handling of documents, called on the Justice Department to "fully investigate" the former President's handling of information.
"Presidents have a solemn duty to protect America's national security, and allegations that former President Trump put our security at risk by mishandling classified information warrant the utmost scrutiny," Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York said.
"Although details of today's actions at Mar-a-Lago are still emerging, it is clear that the Department of Justice must fully investigate President Trump's potentially grave mishandling of classified information."
Trump is facing another investigation for allegedly helping incite the mob on January 6, 2021, with a web of lies about the 2020 US presidential election being marred by widespread voter fraud.
Trump is the only US President to have never held political office prior to his presidency.
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Viral clip shows reckless driving, stunts in Delhi; five arrested
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested five people after registering an FIR in connection with a viral video that showed a group of men performing dangerous stunts in speeding cars on Delhi roads, an official said on Sunday.
The police also recovered four vehicles allegedly involved in the incident, he said.
The video, which surfaced on social media platform X, showed several cars moving at high speed, swerving and zigzagging through traffic on Ring Road, with some occupants seen standing out of sunroofs and windows while shouting as the vehicles sped past other motorists.
The footage triggered sharp reactions online, with users demanding immediate police action and flagging the serious threat to public safety.
According to police, the video came to notice on December 27 and appeared to have been recorded around 10.44 pm on December 26, when the cars were travelling from the ITO stretch towards Sarai Kale Khan and Noida.
"Considering the seriousness of the matter and concerns related to public safety, cognisance was taken and an FIR was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act," the police in a statement said.
During the course of investigation, five accused people were apprehended on Sunday and four offending vehicles were recovered, he added.
The accused have been identified as Almas Arshad (20), Sarfaraj (26), Mohd Imran Qureshi (23), Mohd Shabbir (23), Saad Abdullah (22), all are residents of Delhi.
The clip had been shared by a social media user who urged authorities to take strict action, saying such "extremely dangerous" driving put the lives of other commuters at serious risk and could lead to fatal accidents.
The video drew strong reactions from several users, some of whom described reckless driving and stunt behaviour as a regular occurrence on Delhi roads, while others pointed to an apparent lack of fear of law enforcement among violators.
Earlier, responding to the post, Delhi Traffic Police acknowledged the complaint and advised the user to formally report the incident for further action. In a subsequent message, the traffic police also said that in such cases, people could contact the nearest police station or dial the emergency number 112 for immediate assistance.
A senior officer said the swift action reflected the commitment of Delhi Police to road safety. "Citizens are requested to follow traffic rules and road safety guidelines to ensure safe movement on roads. Any violation will invite strict legal action," he said.
Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain if any additional people were involved.
📍Delhi: Reckless driving on Ring Road from ITO towards Sarai Kale Khan.
— Deadly Kalesh (@Deadlykalesh) December 27, 2025
Seems like Delhi’s pollution is hitting brains harder than lungs.
Extremely dangerous driving, risking lives on a public road.
📹 10:44 PM | 26 Dec
Strict action needed.
pic.twitter.com/sr2zjjUppJ
