However, the search of the former president's house, his future arrest, which suddenly seems imminent, and the prison that seems to be the only thing that will prevent him from winning the next election are not surprising. those who are familiar with the methods by which elected rulers and popular future candidates were removed in Arab countries, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, South America and African countries - countries that, just the same as the United States, are apparently democratic but in fact their democracy is like Swiss cheese: stink, and full of many more holes than cheese: a democracy on the brink of civil war between two rivals, each of which is sure that must rule, by hook or by crook, regardless the civil rights of the other side.
The United States is torn between two halves, each of which is sure that the country belongs only to them, that the other side is not legitimate, and that all forbidden means are permitted and required, to save America from the horrible rule of the other side. In America, in what is ironically called a democracy, each side is convinced that anyone who supports the other side is a conspirator, delusional, corrupt, extremist, and that their vote has no right to be counted. The United States has lost faith in democracy, and believes in it only on the condition that "our side" (Cosa Nostra) win.
Losing an election is automatically considered proof that democracy has gone bankrupt. And victory in the elections automatically denies citizens from the other side the right to verify, demonstrate, question, demand proof, express themselves, or even just to maintain their intimate and family lifestyle according to their free choice, style and preference.
The concept of democracy in America has become the right to impose our beliefs on others, instead of the right of each side to live according to its own way and to let the other side live according to its different way.
This is what happened in 2020. This is what will happen in 2024. And it doesn't really matter who wins or loses in the next election. The problem is not Republican or Democrat. The problem with what is mistakenly called democracy in America is the concept of democracy itself.
The Supreme Court is holy when it rules according to our view, and illegitimate when it rules the opposite. The rule of law is sanctified when it is against those we are against, and corrupted when it acts against someone on our side. The election result is sacred and its reliability should not be tested if our side is considered the winner, and questionable to the point of being faked if the opposing side is the one that was declared the winner.
Conditional democracy. A democracy that is legitimate in our eyes only as long as it is a dictatorship towards the other half of the people.
And all of course in a completely justified way, because “it is a proven fact that the other side is crazy, stupid and blind”.
This is exactly what each of the two sides believe with sincerity and honesty and with absolute certainty.
Back to Mar-a-Lago event:
It would not be correct to rush and state that the sensational search of the former president's house is part of a legal assassination scene in American democracy, the type we all know from other countries, which, just like the United States, are democratic countries only in appearance. A democracy, whose foundation is a disagreeable social contract, where the two separate halves of the citizenry refuse with fanatical mutual hatred to sign any kind of partnership with the other side. In other "democratic" countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Israel and Venezuela, the legal system actually took over the entire democratic process, sometimes justifiably and sometimes just as an abuse of the excessive power of the rule of law over democracy, and changed the rules of the game by dictating who can be in power and who is not allowed to participate in the democratic process, regardless the wish of the majority. Sometimes it was justified to remove a dangerous, cruel and corrupt ruler, and sometimes it was just a clear abuse of the legal procedures to force an alternative dictatorship and a government that is more corrupt and much worse than the one that the legal system has thwarted.
However, in contrast to the January 6th hearings where the Senate committee investigates the incidents of violence with an extreme and clear political motive, from what is known so far it seems that the current search is being carried out according to the law and without any political motivation, since the claims that Donald Trump took 15 boxes of secret documents from the White House were made by employees The White House immediately upon his departure, and he was also questioned about it and according to what is known, he avoided clear answers in the investigation and did not really provide the investigators with convincing answers. On the face of it and according to what is currently known, and contrary to the instinct that urges to state that this is a politically motivated legal persecution, it seems that this is a search warrant based on a completely clean legal procedure, as required by law.
Separated from what is happening in the investigation of the Capitol events, it is important to emphasize that so far there is no evidence of a political motive for the current search. On the other hand, there is apparent evidence that secret documents are hidden in Trump's private estate in violation of the law. So the search is indeed a sensation, but not a scandal. The claim in Trump's statement that they should not have searched him for the same reason that they did not search for the criminal offenses that Hillary Clinton saved and deleted from her computer is wrong.
The fact that the FBI at the time covered up the crimes of the Clinton's is not a justification that the current FBI is prevented from doing what is assigned to it according to the law. On the contrary: it would be great to see that the FBI has changed, improved, and investigates the crimes of the elites with the same freedom that the rule of law pursues small and poor criminals.
The calls on Twitter to see the current search as a reason for armed rebellion are a wild, hysterical and disproportionate exaggeration. The FBI did nothing in this search that should be construed as illegal, or politically motivated, or unconstitutional. On the contrary: if there are secret documents in Trump's estate against the law, the FBI did a good job protecting America, confiscating them, and ensuring that they are kept in the proper place. The fact that the search was conducted while the former president was away from the scene also proves that the purpose of the search was the prohibited secret documents and not the former president. Time will tell.
Anyway, this is what happened:
It is 8.30pm in Florida where former US president Donald Trump has said FBI agents raided his estate on Monday and broke into his safe.
The reported raid comes amid a US justice department investigation of Trump’s removal of official presidential records to the Palm Beach, Florida, club.
This is what we know so far:
Trump claimed FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday and broke into his safe, adding that his estate “is currently under siege, raided, and occupied.”
The FBI executed a search warrant around 6pm ET which appears to have been related to an investigation into Trump unlawfully taking White House classified documents with him to Mar-a-Lago after his presidency, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The search appeared to concern boxes of classified documents that Trump brought with him from the White House to the Florida club, the New York Times reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the investigation.
Trump said: “After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate ... They even broke into my safe!”
Trump was not at the estate at the time of the raid and was in the New York area.
Trump compared the FBI raid to “Watergate” and blamed it on “Radical Left Democrats” who he said “desperately don’t want me to run for president in 2024 … who will do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming midterms elections”.
The US justice department launched an early-stage investigation into Trump’s removal of records to the Florida estate, a source familiar with the matter said in April.
The investigation comes after the US national archives and records administration in February notified Congress that it had recovered about 15 boxes of White House documents from Trump’s Florida home, some of which contained classified materials.
Trump initially delayed returning the 15 boxes of material requested by officials for many months, only doing so when there became a threat of action being taken to retrieve them.
The US justice department and the FBI has declined to comment on the raid.
Trump and his allies immediately sought to cast the search as part of a Democratic-driven effort to keep him from winning another term in 2024, even though the Biden White House said it had no prior knowledge of the search and the current FBI director, Christopher Wray, was appointed by Trump five years ago and served as a high-ranking official in a Republican-led Justice Department.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump said in his statement.
He added: “These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
Classified material found in 15 boxes
The search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home appears to have been related to an investigation into the former president unlawfully taking White House classified documents with him to the residence after his presidency.
The discovery of classified information at the Palm Beach property was referred to the Justice Department by the National Archives and Records Administration, which said it had found classified material in 15 boxes at the residence, according to the Associated Press.
Federal law bars the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations, though it is possible that Trump could try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority.
There are multiple statutes governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and retain them at an unauthorized location.
Another statute makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or in a grossly negligent manner.
Many of Trump’s advisers have said they are unclear exactly why the search warrant was issued, according to the New York Times.
President Biden’s top aides found out about the search from reports on Twitter and had no advance notice, a Democratic source familiar with the matter told the newspaper.
Senior White House officials said they only saw the news via former President Trump’s statement.
Trump's statement in full
Donald Trump issued a statement on Monday, saying his Mar-a-Lago home had been “raided” and that authorities had even broken into a safe.
The full statement, released shortly before 7pm ET, says (quote):
These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate. It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections. Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.
The political persecution of President Donald J. Trump has been going on for years, with the now fully debunked Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and so much more, it just never ends. It is political targeting at the highest level!
Hillary Clinton was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 E-mails AFTER they were subpoenaed by Congress. Absolutely nothing has happened to hold her accountable. She even took antique furniture, and other items from the White House.
I stood up to America’s bureaucratic corruption, I restored power to the people, and truly delivered for our Country, like we have never seen before. The establishment hated it. Now, as they watch my endorsed candidates win big victories, and see my dominance in all polls, they are trying to stop me, and the Republican Party, once more. The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt must be exposed and stopped.
I will continue to fight for the Great American People!”
End of statement.
After leaving the White House, Donald Trump moved into his Mar-a-Lago estate in the exclusive Florida enclave of Palm Beach.
During his presidency, Mar-a-Lago was known as Trump’s “winter White House”. Trump and his wife, Melania, returned to the Florida resort after leaving Washington and since then, the president has made it the centre of his political dealings.
The FBI reportedly executed a search warrant at the residence around 6pm ET which appears to have been related to an investigation into Trump unlawfully taking White House documents with him to the property after his presidency, according to a source familiar with the matter.
