Former President Donald Trump offered a brief, but visceral reaction to the Justice Department releasing a partially blacked-out document Friday — apparently justifying the FBI raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate — instead of a fully unredacted affidavit.
Through the TruthSocial app, Trump had this response to the affidavit's release: "Affidavit heavily redacted!!! Nothing mentioned on 'Nuclear,' a total public relations subterfuge by the FBI & DOJ, or our close working relationship regarding document turnover — WE GAVE THEM MUCH.
"[U.S. Magistrate] Judge Bruce Reinhart should NEVER have allowed the Break-In of my home. He recused himself two months ago from one of my cases based on his animosity and hatred of your favorite President, me.
"What changed? Why hasn’t he recused himself on this case? Obama must be very proud of him right now!"
A follow-up post from Trump consisted of just two words to form a phrase he often uses: "WITCH HUNT!!!"
On Aug. 8, when Trump was out of state, a number of FBI agents executed a search warrant on Trump's home and reportedly removed 11 sets of documents that were deemed potentially crucial to national security concerns.
Judge Reinhart had previously ordered the release of the Mar-a-Lago affidavit by noon Friday (EST), but also agreed to DOJ redactions covering "identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties, the investigation's strategy, direction, scope, sources, and methods and grand jury information."
As Newsmax chronicled on Friday, Reinhart also ordered the release of documents related to the request to redact the affidavit.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing throughout, arguing all of his documents had been declassified before leaving the White House in January, 2021.
Last week, while serving as a studio guest on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Trump attorney Alina Habba told Newsmax the Mar-a-Lago affidavit implied potential guilt for the former president on three fronts — concealment, espionage, and destruction of documents.
To which, Habba responded: If the DOJ claims concealment, "you wouldn't have allowed [federal agents] into Mar-a-Lago," Habba said.
If the DOJ cites espionage, Habba said the Trump attorneys wouldn't have been transparent about federal officials viewing the documents in June.
And if the DOJ argues destruction, Habba says Trump's people wouldn't have responded positively to the feds' request of putting a padlock on the presidential documents.
"What people don't understand: Presidents have different kinds of privileges — executive privileges," said Habba, adding that Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama exercised similar declassification privileges with documents after leaving office in 2009 and 2017, respectively.
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