# 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:** 29
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/561 "2022-08-12T00:36:20Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > We still don’t really know who Trump owes. My immediate thought as well. Maybe some nuclear secrets are enough to get Vlad to finally tear up that promissory note? ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/562 "2022-08-12T00:39:39Z")
Something tells me the judge hearing the motion to unseal the warrant application documents is going to find that the public interest and need to know far outweighs Trump’s concerns about keeping the Sharpied weather map out of view. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/563 "2022-08-12T00:41:03Z")
> Full House of Representatives Report: [https://t.co/sfTSRMqJdR](https://t.co/sfTSRMqJdR) Who was at that golf tournament the other week… ? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/564 "2022-08-12T00:41:39Z")
Alright, I’m not sure I buy it… these stupid anonymous sources. Until I see “Restricted Data” or “Formerly Restricted Data” on a document manifest of items recovered I can’t get to “former President retains US nuclear secrets in a box in his basement”. It’s just not comprehensible. Maybe there was a long list of the _types_ of material that was being looked for and one of the items listed was RD/FRD (along with the usual TS/SCI/etc). ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/565 "2022-08-12T00:43:34Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Probably because Uncle Vlad wants it. What about his good buddy Orban from Hungary? I’ve read at least one theory that this was all a move by conservatives to clear Trump out of the way for the next MAGA monster. Seems very farfetched. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/566 "2022-08-12T00:43:55Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Alright, I’m not sure I buy it… these stupid anonymous sources. Until I see “Restricted Data” or “Formerly Restricted Data” on a document manifest of items recovered I can’t get to “former President retains US nuclear secrets in a box in his basement”. It’s just not comprehensible. Sorry, but after _all_ we have seen, this is funny. Recover from the shock, but, yes, this is what _The Washington Post_ is reporting. I trust them, tbh. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/567 "2022-08-12T00:48:27Z")
I do too, but here is the nut graph: > [@](#): > > Classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents sought in a search of former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence on Monday, according to people familiar with the investigation. > > The people who described some of the material that agents were seeking spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. They did not offer additional details about what type of information the agents were seeking, including whether it involved weapons belonging to the United States or some other nation. Nor did they say if such documents were recovered as part of the search. What does that really say? It says that among the list of things being looked for were documents related to nuclear weapons. Which, of course. If the DOJ/NARA think Trump kept more documents than he has so far returned (either in January or in June), and that some of them are classified, you write the warrant to list all of the types of classified documents you think you might find, including RD/FRD. Like I said, let me know when the reporting is that they _found_ any nuclear documents. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/568 "2022-08-12T00:49:29Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Why Trump would want to hold onto RD/FRD data and not provide it to NARA/FBI/DoE is hard to imagine, to be honest. Remember, with Trump it’s all about the moola. He was planning to sell it. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/569 "2022-08-12T00:49:47Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > What about his good buddy Orban from Hungary? What horrifies me is, we’re spoiled for choice. Putin, bin Salman, Orban, no problem. Republicans are fine with this. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I’ve read at least one theory that this was all a move by conservatives to clear Trump out of the way for the next MAGA monster. Seems very farfetched. Republicans may try to spin it this way, but as you say, it’s farfetched. I’ll add stupid. I noticed McConnell’s only public-facing statement was to say that Garland should “immediately” release the basis for the warrant. I suspect he knew what was in it, at least generally. * * * I doubt Garland would have come out with such a strong statement or an offer to release the list of retrieved documents if he didn’t have the goods. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/570 "2022-08-12T00:50:28Z")
It also says the Washington Post double-verified this information. They don’t go to press with stories like this without corroboration. It’s how protecting your ass in American journalism works. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/571 "2022-08-12T00:51:08Z")
I trust their reporting. Their integrity is all they have. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/572 "2022-08-12T00:51:48Z")
You come at the King, you’d best not miss. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/573 "2022-08-12T00:54:40Z")
“Have you accidentally come into possession of classified documents related to nuclear weapons? And are worried about how to get rid of them?” ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/574 "2022-08-12T00:56:00Z")
Yes, of course. I imagine their story is absolutely correct. And the story is: “among the list of the types of documents on the warrant were nuclear documents”. But that is a far cry from “among the documents _retrieved_ are nuclear documents” or “the primary documents they were after were nuclear documents”. It’s the kind of reporting that makes noise, but also causes disappointment and even blow-back when the reality doesn’t align with the leaps made based on the reporting. And believe me, I do not think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that Trump grabbed some nuclear documents to sell them to whomever. And that he was about to load them into his brand new safe and deliver them to Vlad/Saudis/whomever. But it could also be much more mundane (but also illegal) stuff, and WashPo could still be 100% correct in their reporting. We will, hopefully, know soon. And hopefully, if nuclear information was involved, it was reclaimed before it could be copied or disseminated. But it has been a damn-long time… ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/575 "2022-08-12T00:56:09Z")
Yep. I saw Barbara McQuade, a former prosecutor, on MSNBC who responded to an incredulous question about how incriminating evidence wouldn’t have been immediately destroyed. She said they had a saying in her office, “We don’t catch the smart ones.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/576 "2022-08-12T00:58:50Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Yes, of course. I imagine their story is absolutely correct. And the story is: “among the list of the types of documents on the warrant were nuclear documents”. > > But that is a far cry from “among the documents _retrieved_ are nuclear documents” or “the primary documents they were after were nuclear documents”. I’m no attorney, and I take it you aren’t either. But from what I’m reading, it sounds like the warrants aren’t fishing expeditions. They don’t list all the shit they think _might plausibly_ be there. They list the shit that _they have strong reason to believe are_ there. Can folks with more experience wrt federal warrants weigh in on this? ---
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/577 "2022-08-12T01:00:15Z")
That’s my read. They know these documents are missing. And who the last person to have them was. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/578 "2022-08-12T01:00:41Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > It’s the kind of reporting that makes noise, but also causes disappointment and even blow-back when the reality doesn’t align with the leaps made based on the reporting. Man, I’m telling you, it’s Donald Trump. You can go with your gut here. Ask yourself this: 1. Does ‘nuclear secrets’ answer _all_ the reasonable questions which have been raised about this? The timeline, the urgency, ‘why is trump flipping out’, ‘why today’s presser’, even down to ‘why bother, what could they be seeking which is worth this’? To me the answer is ‘yes’. 1. What else would answer those questions? To me the answer is ‘very little’. ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/579 "2022-08-12T01:02:51Z")
As former military member with over 10 years working with special weapons, I’m grieving. Turning to Bruce Hornsby: _Remember when the days were long_ _And rolled beneath a deep blue sky_ _Didn’t have a care in the world_ _With mommy and daddy standin’ by_ _But “happily ever after” fails_ _And we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales_ _The lawyer dwell on small details_ _Since daddy had to fly_ _snipped as exceeded fair use; What Exit?_ Ugh… ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/580 "2022-08-12T01:08:25Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > They list the shit that _they have strong reason to believe_ might be there. That’s fair. Perhaps I’m too broad in my thinking of what could possibly be put on a warrant that was searching for classified documents. We will see once it comes out, I guess (if it comes out). I’m imagining that if I had a CI, for example, that signed an affidavit that said that they saw documents stamped Top Secret in a box in the basement at Mar a Lago, that I could also include documents marked “Secret” and possibly also “TS-SCI” or “TS/FRD” in my warrant. I think I would want to do that if I were the one making the request. But I can also imagine that there are very specific documents that they are looking for, that include stuff related to nuclear power and/or weapons. So I suppose both are equally possible. I think just based on what I’ve been reading the last few days about search warrants the more general “classified documents” is what would be listed on the actual warrant (although the affidavit is probably more specific). But maybe a real lawyer can correct me. > [@JohnT](#): > > What else would answer those questions? This is another great point, and one I’ve been struggling with since Monday. Something happened that stepped up the urgency, and made them believe they needed to act. I suppose the revelation from a CI that a particular document or set of documents related to nuclear weapons were present is an answer that makes sense. I’m still also open to the idea that he held on to a bunch of random Durham/“Russia Hoax” stuff that had some foreign intelligence assets in it and that the current administration really doesn’t trust him not to blab all over the place. And he’s been stonewalling and being non-responsive to subpoenas. Then they got word he bought a new safe and was planning to move some documents out of Mar-a-Lago because the FBI was going to take them from him so they decided to swoop in before he could do that. Is the second story likely enough to trigger Garland to OK the raid? I would actually like to think no… but I’m not 100% sure. Having intelligence assets in the temperamental hands of DJT is pretty terrifying. [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=28) [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=30)