# FBI Search and Seizure at Trump's Mar-A-Lago Residence, August 8, 2022, Case Dismissed July 15, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 8, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329 "2022-08-08T23:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 140
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2781 "2022-09-12T03:49:25Z")
Trump: “Executive privilege?” FBI: “Sorry sir, doesn’t work that way.” Trump: “Her emails?” FBI: “Nope.” Trump: “You can’t arrest a sitting president!” FBI: “…c’mon, man.” Trump: “FINE WHATEVER.” ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2782 "2022-09-12T03:49:42Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Maybe he got a prank call inviting him to a putt putt tournament against Biden for the keys to the White House. - Ok, this cracked me right up. 😃 There’s another thread in IMHO to speculate on this situation: > [@Why did a disheveled looking Trump just turn up in DC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-a-disheveled-looking-trump-just-turn-up-in-dc/971412): > > So my Twitter just blew up with [this](https://twitter.com/search?q=trump%20dc&t=208vfjEJveeFhV3oDz6gAQ&s=09). Trump just arrived in DC unannounced, in a government jet, looking like he was just dragged off the golf course. Some people (on the somewhat flimsy evidence of the position of his hands) claim he’s been arrested. Others seem to suggest a trip to Walter Reed for a medical issue (is the care at Walter Reed really so good as to warrant an interstate trip? I thought most DC bigwigs, eg supreme court judges, go to Sibley) What do the assembled dopers think? Let’s move there for further speculation, shall we? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2783 "2022-09-12T03:50:28Z")
LOL, love it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2784 "2022-09-12T03:51:26Z")
Moved speculation to new thread ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2785 "2022-09-12T14:58:09Z")
> “In what at its core is a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control, the Government wrongfully seeks to criminalize the possession by the 45th President of his own Presidential and personal records,” The Trump legal team has responded to the DOJ’s request to the judge to continue working with the classified documents. These lawyers don’t seem to understand the law very well. Someone should point them in the direction of the Presidential Records Act… ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2786 "2022-09-12T15:13:00Z")
Their argument seems to hinge on the theory that the records, including highly classified material are Trump’s personal property, and he can do whatever he wants with them. I suppose even sell them to foreign intelligence services for cash, if he so chooses. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2787 "2022-09-12T15:16:41Z")
I figured all along that – after all their bullshit excuses fell apart – they’d eventually settle on a “huge overreaction to a paperwork error” narrative. So yeah, they’re calling it “a document storage dispute.” Nothing to see here, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2788 "2022-09-12T15:29:12Z")
If only some past president had harshened up the penalty for mishandling classified documents. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2789 "2022-09-12T16:51:55Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > But their other choice baffles me. Raymond Dearie, one of the judges Trump railed against for with “Carter Page witch hunt”? Why would he suggest this guy? Bump. No one else has any theories as to why the Trump team would nominate a guy who approved the Carter Page surveillance as the special master? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2790 "2022-09-12T17:10:13Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > No one else has any theories as to why the Trump team would nominate a guy who approved the Carter Page surveillance as the special master? I’d have to go with the “there’s only one right choice here, Cannon.” theory. Otherwise, all I’ve got are 1) incompetence, or 2) they have some reason to think that he’s slow and overworked and that he’ll take a long time going through everything? Incompetence would be my preference between those two but, as said, “there’s only one real choice” is my winner. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2791 "2022-09-12T19:19:52Z")
I wonder what the chances are that Cannon was surprised by the amount of criticism she received and will try to balance things out (salvage her reputation) by picking a DOJ choice for SM and ruling in their favor on Trump’s latest filing. I know, slim. But on can hope. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2792 "2022-09-12T19:27:18Z")
It’s the Humpty Trumpty defense - > # “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ > > ’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ > > ’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2793 "2022-09-12T21:45:50Z")
For those who like Trevor Noah and his correspondent, Desi Lydic, here’s Desi “Fox-splaining” the Trump/Docs/MAL story in 2m30s. Spoiler alert: It’s some funny s\*\*t: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vrQRcWHzuUg/maxresdefault.jpg "Desi Lydic Foxsplains: The Trump Documents Scandal | The Daily Show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrQRcWHzuUg) ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2794 "2022-09-12T21:46:42Z")
[Texas woman charged with threatening judge who approved Trump special master request](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-aileen-cannon-threats-texas-woman-arrested-trump-special-master/) _sigh_ Not helpful at all. Why give fodder to the tRumpists who spout that the Deep State/Soros/Hillary cabal are the real villians? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2795 "2022-09-12T21:56:41Z")
Because she has a history of mental illness. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2796 "2022-09-12T22:50:34Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Spoiler alert: It’s some funny s\*\*t: Merrick Garland might be a space elf though. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2797 "2022-09-12T22:56:40Z")
The part I still don’t understand is why anyone, the DoJ included, is paying any attention at all to this judge. She doesn’t have any sort of jurisdiction in this case, and even if she did, no judge has the authority to order the DoJ to stop an investigation. Surely there have been crazy judges before, who have issued proclamations ordering the government to do crazy things, and they were just ignored before? If some random judge were to decree that Biden wasn’t allowed to issue any more executive orders, Biden doesn’t need to go through the trouble of appealing that before he can continue Presidenting, does he? If so, how does our government ever function? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2798 "2022-09-12T23:01:16Z")
I’d like an answer to that, too, from one of our own Legal Eagles. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2799 "2022-09-12T23:56:48Z")
[The DOJ is open to one of Trump’s picks for special master.](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/09/12/politics/special-master-nominee-responses/index.html) Maybe they didn’t want a drawn-out battle, but there has to be a catch with this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/2800 "2022-09-13T00:16:00Z")
The catch is that the DOJ objects to having a special master at all and expects the appeal court to rule in their favor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=141)