In his first comments since FBI agents descended on the home of former President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday said he asked a judge to make public the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search.
The move comes after Trump and his supporters have spent days attacking the integrity of the FBI and the Justice department--accusing Democrats of weaponizing the federal bureaucracy to target Trump.
Garland: "I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter."
Garland for the first time confirmed that agents had searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach and that he, himself, had authorized it...
- a search that is part of an investigation into whether the former president illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office.
Garland's confirmation was highly unusual, since U.S. law enforcement typically does not discuss ongoing investigations. But it came after Trump himself announced the search on Monday night, and follows blistering attacks from Trump and his Republican allies in Congress and on cable news.
Garland: "...let me address recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of the FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors. I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked."
It was not clear whether Trump's legal team would object to the release of the warrant, which could shed light on the nature of the investigation.
In a statement on his Truth Social network, Trump said (quote): "My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established. The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it."
Garland's Justice Department has faced fierce criticism and online threats this week following the search.
The FBI said an armed person had tried to breach its office in Cincinnati early on Thursday in what it called a "critical incident."
An Ohio State Highway Patrol official later confirmed that after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement, the suspect died of his injuries.
