• The FBI raided the National Archives and Records Administration’s property at the White House.
• Search reportedly related to inquiry into Mr. Trump’s handling of government documents.
• Documents related to Donald Trump’s challenge to the 2020 presidential election are seized.

Mr. Trump stated in a statement that his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago, was “occupied by a large group of FBI agents.”

According to reports, the search was related to an inquiry into Mr. Trump’s handling of government documents.

The substantial increase in law enforcement surveillance of Mr. Trump comes as he prepares to seek for a third term in 2024.

Mr. Trump was at Trump Tower in New York City at the time of the purported raid, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

“These are dark times for our nation,” Mr. Trump started his address.

He said that since he had cooperated with all relevant government agencies, the “unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate”.

Mr. Trump called it “prosecutorial misconduct” and “the weaponization of the Justice System” to keep him from running for President again.

“Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries,” he said. “Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before.

The president’s second-oldest son, Eric Trump, told Fox News that the FBI’s search of Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was connected to an inquiry into the management of National Archives information.

The National Archives, the US government organization in charge of preserving presidential documents, requested an investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of official files in February.

The National Archives said that it had recovered 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago, some of which held sensitive information.

All letters, work papers, and emails sent by US presidents are required by law to be transferred to the National Archives.

However, authorities claim that the previous president unlawfully tore up several records.

According to the Archives, several of them had to be taped back together. Mr Trump called claims that he mismanaged government documents “fake news” at the time.

According to a top Trump aide in Palm Beach, the federal investigators’ search of Mar-a-Lago was for presidential documents.

“This is about the PRA [Presidential Records Act],” said the Trump insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“When have you ever heard about a raid because of PRA?”

“They [the FBI] just left and they left with very little.” the insider claimed.

A judge must sign a federal search warrant. Law enforcement authorities must have proof that the search is likely to turn up illicit evidence.

The Secret Service was contacted soon before the order was issued about 10:00 (14:00 GMT), according to an unidentified law enforcement official, and officers guarding Mr Trump assisted the FBI investigators.

Several boxes were hauled away, according to the source, who added that no doors were knocked down and that the raid was over by late afternoon.

According to New York Times writer Maggie Haberman’s upcoming book, Confidence Man, workers at the White House residence sometimes discovered wads of paper clogging a toilet, and they suspected Mr. Trump was the flusher.

Ms Haberman claims to have gotten images of paper in a toilet bowl at the White House.

According to a senior White House official, the West Wing was not informed about the FBI raid on Mr Trump’s property.

“No advance knowledge,” claimed the senior official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the situation. “Some learned from old media, some from social media.”

The White House of US President Joe Biden has said that it would minimize its connections with senior Justice Department employees in order to prevent any appearance of political pressure or misconduct.

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Biden promised to remain out of Justice Department matters. The president and his family are also awaiting word from federal prosecutors on whether their son, Hunter Biden, will face tax evasion or other criminal charges.

In addition to the National Archives investigation, a select committee of the US House of Representatives is looking into Mr. Trump’s activities surrounding the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, when a swarm of his fans rioted at Congress as legislators convened to confirm Mr. Biden’s election win.

The US Justice Department is investigating Mr. Trump’s challenge to the 2020 presidential election results. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that “everyone” will be held responsible.

A prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, is also looking into whether Mr. Trump and his aides attempted to tamper with the outcome of the 2020 election in that state.

“They even broke into my safe!”

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