# Do you support the FBI search at Mar-A-Lago? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439 "2022-08-10T14:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/1 "2022-08-10T14:52:07Z")
Let’s see how the SDMB feels about this news event. Feel free to civilly discuss after voting. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/1))_ > **[FBI executes search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago in document investigation |...](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/08/politics/mar-a-lago-search-warrant-fbi-donald-trump/index.html)** > > The FBI executed a search warrant Monday at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there, three... ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/2 "2022-08-10T14:52:53Z")
I do. Not because I care about the legal stuff, but because Trump is so annoying and this might finally be the thing to frighten him into non-annoyingness. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/3 "2022-08-10T15:00:14Z")
I don’t understand why there’s any controversy. Trump and his associates have been under investigation for over a year. Searchs are a natural part of investigations. Several of Trumps associates have been questioned and offices searched. Apparently a Judge approved a search warrant. It was lawfully executed. Trump has no privileged status as an ex-president. I would be concerned if the same property was searched multiple times. That could become harassment. I’ve seen sitting governors investigated & prosecuted. It happened to Gov Edwin Edwards in Louisiana, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and Gov Jim Guy Tucker in Arkansas. Political office doesn’t matter to law enforcement. You pay the consequences when the law is Broken. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/4 "2022-08-10T15:04:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I do. Not because I care about the legal stuff, but because Trump is so annoying… That is, “I support using law to bludgeon people I don’t like”. I agree with you about Trump, and would also be glad if he were “[frightened] into non-annoyingness”. But the idea that a legal action is justified by this? That is one of the positions Trump holds that I find so “annoying”. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/5 "2022-08-10T15:06:59Z")
The government knew Trump had boxes of classified information, because they removed 15 such boxes from his home just recently. Since the government also has at least some idea of what was missing, they could see quite easily if some documents were still missing. At that point, Trump (or someone in Trump’s employ) is either concealing those documents, or had destroyed them, and not informed the government of such destruction. Either of those actions are a crime on their face. Trump has already had more than sufficient time and opportunity to comply with the government’s desire to recover these documents, and has failed to do so. As such, a search warrant is perfectly appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/6 "2022-08-10T15:11:47Z")
I don’t quite understand what you mean by “support.” Are you asking whether we are rooting for Team Trump or Team FBI? Or are you asking whether we judge there to be sufficient evidence to warrant a warrant? In other words, is this about where we’d direct our thoughts and prayers, or is this about whether we agree intellectually with the procedure? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/7 "2022-08-10T15:18:39Z")
Yep, I support the search. And Trump should be prosecuted if he committed a crime. I also believe Hillary should be indicted for storing classified emails on her private server. (And no, I will not debate this topic in this thread.) I believe in holding _all_ politicians accountable, regardless of their political stripes. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/8 "2022-08-10T15:19:26Z")
I support the FBI on the assumption they have a valid search warrant for a matter that will be examined critically. I hope to see justification for the warrant, and the search more generally. If a public statement further explaining those reasons is not forthcoming it may end up being a mistake in the end. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/9 "2022-08-10T15:19:50Z")
I both support the FBI search for pure reasons of shadenfreude, and because I trust that the FBI had probable cause and went through proper protocols. Two thumbs up. 👍 👍 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/10 "2022-08-10T15:20:50Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Yep, I support the search. And Trump should be prosecuted if he committed a crime. > > I also believe Hillary should be indicted for storing classified emails on her private server. (And no, I will not debate this topic in this thread.) No debate, just pointing out it’s possible neither of them committed a crime for their seemingly illegal activities. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/11 "2022-08-10T15:20:59Z")
The question could be interpreted several ways. I was asking if you support the FBI’s obligation to investigate allegations against an ex-president that may run for office again. Trump and other supporters are trying to politicize what should be business as usual. The use and storage of classified documents is very serious. General Petraeus lost his job over it. There was talk of prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/12 "2022-08-10T15:21:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Apparently a Judge approved a search warrant. It was lawfully executed. Trump has no privileged status as an ex-president. This. They had a warrant. Trump is not above the law. Even when he was President, he wasn’t above the law; it was just that the law allows a sitting President certain specific rights which go with the office. > [@Dr.Drake](#): > > are you asking whether we judge there to be sufficient evidence to warrant a warrant? I’ll grant that I haven’t seen their evidence; but I wouldn’t expect to have seen it, any more than I’d expect to be shown personally the evidence behind every other search warrant issued in the country. If the warrant was invalid, there are court procedures, specified in the law, for challenging that. Considering the situation in general, combined with Trump’s known willingness to sue, I’d be astonished if in this case the warrant wasn’t valid. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/13 "2022-08-10T15:21:54Z")
I think this is where > [@The difficulty in waiting and seeing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-difficulty-in-waiting-and-seeing/969381): > > What brought this to my mind was my internal reaction to many of the posts that happen in every breaking news thread, either political or otherwise, where people feel compelled to post their theories about what is going to happen next, based mostly or entirely on speculation. I think it’s very difficult for many people to resist speculating about what’s going to happen next, and then to enumerate the consequences of that happening, and what the next event after that will be, and so on. It’s lik… Comes in. Leaving out all the speculation, based on what we know and how the legal system is at least supposed to work, the FBI went in under legal warrant, which has to show sufficient probable cause. Since I don’t think anyone was blind to the social consequences, I also believe that the ‘sufficient’ in this case was at a much higher bar than serving a warrant on your average white collar criminal, much less the level where our society allows a cop to shoot up the wrong place on a warrant and walk away with a slap on the wrist. Lastly, since Trump has to know what the warrant covered, but isn’t _talking_ about it, instead repeating his favorite ‘witch hunt’ lines, it even more strongly supports the theory that it is legitimate. So I do show support for the FBI search at Mar-A-Lago, but if it is shown to be incorrect, I also support a full apology and compensation for damages _to the exact extent supported in every other example of legal overreach by our various police forces in the country as supported by our various Republican representatives_. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/14 "2022-08-10T15:25:53Z")
From what I’ve read, 97% of federal prosecutions result in either the defendant pleading guilty or losing at trial. And the feds are notorious for extremely detailed, ‘overkill’ investigations that gather far more evidence than necessary. So yes, Trump’s goose is all but cooked now. But back to the topic, I think Trump needs a big scare - not necessarily jail, but at least a scare - to turn his head straight for once and behave like an adult rather than a 7 year old. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/15 "2022-08-10T15:27:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I do. Not because I care about the legal stuff, but because Trump is so annoying and this might finally be the thing to frighten him into non-annoyingness. No, the proper response to Trump being annoying is to make fun of him. FBI searches should only be used as part of the legal process. In this case, there is ample evidence that Trump has broken numerous serious laws and that the search was legal and justified. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/16 "2022-08-10T15:30:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > But back to the topic, I think Trump needs a big scare - not necessarily jail, but at least a scare - to turn his head straight for once and behave like an adult rather than a 7 year old. Some people thought the awesome responsibility of the Presidency would bring about a positive change. Spoiler alert: It didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/17 "2022-08-10T15:34:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > But back to the topic, I think Trump needs a big scare - not necessarily jail, but at least a scare - to turn his head straight for once and behave like an adult rather than a 7 year old. Trump is 76 years old. I doubt he will grow up at this point. He grew up in an environment where he never faced serious consequences so he never had to learn how to behave. He has spent his life as a toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/18 "2022-08-10T15:38:00Z")
Thanks. I have now voted “yes,” because in that sense, I absolutely support it. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/19 "2022-08-10T15:40:20Z")
You are insulting 7 year olds.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439/20 "2022-08-10T15:41:45Z")
I support it, as others said, in the sense that I have no reason to believe that it wasn’t based on probable evidence and lawfully approved and executed. The only reasons I could see not to “support” it would be to believe that it _wasn’t_ lawfully approved/executed (and I see no evidence of that despite knee-jerk responses from the Right) or because you think it _was_ legitimate but they shouldn’t have done it for social/political reasons which isn’t a stance I agree with. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-support-the-fbi-search-at-mar-a-lago/969439.md?page=2)