Trump lashes out at FBI and judge as Mar-a-Lago search affidavit released: ‘Nothing mentioned on Nuclear’

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI and a federal judge as the redacted Mar-a-Lago search affidavit was released and bragged that there was “Nothing mentioned on Nuclear” in it.

The former president took to his Truth Social platform to again attack the search on his Florida estate for top secret documents he took with him from the White House and insisted, “WE GAVE THEM MUCH.”

And he followed it up with a second post, that read: “WITCH HUNT!!!”

The FBI told the judge that there was “probable cause to believe” that classified national security materials had been taken to “unauthorized” locations at Mr Trump’s resort, and that a search would also be likely to find “evidence of obstruction”, according to the redacted document.

“Affidavit heavily redacted!!! Nothing mentioned on “Nuclear,” a total public relations subterfuge by the FBI & DOJ, or our close working relationship regarding document turnover - WE GAVE THEM MUCH.”

Mr Trump also took aim at Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the search on 8 August, accusing him of “animosity and hatred” towards the one-term president.

“Judge Bruce Reinhart should NEVER have allowed the Break-In of my home. He recused himself two months ago from one of my cases based on his animosity and hatred of your favorite President, me. What changed? Why hasn’t he recused himself on this case? Obama must be very proud of him right now!”

Federal investigators used the affidavit to convince Judge Reinhart to authorise the search of the estate when Mr Trump was in New York.

Mr Trump and many of his GOP supporters have claimed that the raid was political and ordered by the White House against Joe Biden’s likely 2024 opponent.

Mr Biden has strongly denied having any prior knowledge of the raid, which was approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The affidavit states that the federal investigation started after a criminal referral from the National Archives, which was sent to the Justice Department in February.

The Archives told the Justice Department that the boxes at Mar-a-Lago contained “newspapers, magazines, printed news articles, photos, miscellaneous print-outs, notes, presidential correspondence, personal and post-presidential records, and ‘a lot of classified records.’”

Officials at the Archives told the Justice Department that they had “significant concern” that “highly classified records were … intermixed with other records.”