• The FBI and Department of Justice are yet to comment on the Mar-a-Lago raid.
• It is the first time law enforcement has ever searched the house of a former US president.
• Republicans have called for a briefing from Attorney General Merrick Garland, the head of the DOJ.

Enraged loyalists of former President Donald Trump are seeking an explanation for the FBI raid on his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.

The FBI and DOJ have yet to comment on the investigation, which Mr Trump announced on Monday evening.

It is said to be related to a probe into his handling of confidential and sensitive information.

It was the first time law enforcement has ever searched the house of a former US president.

According to reports, the FBI operation is related to an inquiry into whether Mr. Trump, a Republican, stole secret documents from the White House and brought them to Mar-a-Lago.

According to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, the search was authorised at the highest echelons of the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Republicans have portrayed the inquiry as politically motivated, with key players requesting a briefing from Attorney General Merrick Garland, the head of the Department of Justice.

Mr Trump’s former Vice President, Mike Pence, who has discreetly distanced himself amid speculation that they may both run for President in 2024, has called on the attorney general to provide a “full accounting” of why the search warrant was carried out.

“In American history, no past President of the United States has ever been subjected to a raid on their own house,” he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s congressional supporters have promised to initiate a probe if they retake control of the House of Representatives and Senate in November’s midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Washington.

The FBI gave President Joe Biden no previous notification of the raid, according to White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, and he “learned about this from public reports.”

“The president was not briefed and was not aware of it. No-one at the White House was given a heads-up,” she said.

She told reporters that Mr. Biden had gone to tremendous efforts to ensure the justice department’s independence, adding, “President Biden believes in the rule of law.”

Lindsey Halligan, Mr Trump’s lawyer, said she got a phone at 10:00 a.m. local time (15:00 GMT) saying the FBI had a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and she should come to the resort.

She reported seeing 30 to 40 gloved FBI officers, some dressed in suits and others in casual attire, as well as 10 to 15 FBI cars, including a rented truck.

Ms Halligan told CBS that she and another Trump lawyer were not allowed to enter the property, and that the search was split into three sections: a bedroom, an office, and a storage space.

“Complete overkill,” she said. “If they needed documents, they could have asked.”

An unidentified law enforcement source told CBS that the Secret Service personnel guarding Mr. Trump were alerted soon before the order was issued.

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