The spectacle of the raid on Mar-a-Lago last week sparked ire on the right and a sense of glee on the left. Those in the middle saw the former President in a new light – that of a target. The FBI and the Department of Justice did something that no publicist could ever accomplish … they made Donald Trump a sympathetic figure.
The impetus for this draconian action appears excessive. Considering any documents, other than handwritten notes, were likely done on White House computers and were already stored on secured servers – one must wonder why it was necessary to pounce on the former President’s home in such a manner.
Despite the narrative that CNN and MSNBC are attempting to weave, it is hard to fathom that anything that might be stored there is the only copy. Also consider, the files of a President are turned over to him when his Presidential Library is formed.
They are then reviewed, by designates of that President, as to which ones will be made public. Many former Presidents have made markedly slow process on making their files public. Joe Biden’s, from his time as Vice President, are locked away at a college archive in Delaware. Any of these files ‘secured’ by this raid, will, very likely, end up back in Donald Trump’s hands at some point.
What we are left with is speculation, fueled by social media memes and innuendos by the mainstream media. We also are left with the clearly staged imagery of police cars surrounding Mar-a-Lago, sirens blaring, lights flashing like an episode of Cops.
We are also left with questions that need to be answered. Americans need to demand these answers. If they don’t get them, they need to utilize any and all legal tools at their disposal to send a message to the deep state that this kind of behavior has consequences. Just some of these questions are as follows:
- Have any other former Presidents had any classified material with them when they left office? Who? How much material?
- Is this the standard operating procedure for securing classified materials from former Presidents? In what ways did this differ? Why was Trump treated different? Was there a credible risk of those documents being taken or distributed?
- Who from the DOJ, White House, or FBI informed the media of the raid so that it could be covered by news crews? Is there an investigation into that leak?
- For other recoveries of NARA materials, how many FBI agents have been assigned? What determined the number of agents, in some reports 30-40, to be needed?
- Why were the exits to Mar-a-Lago blocked if Donald Trump was not present?
- Were the documents recovered unique, or merely copies of material that the National Archives and Records Administration already possessed?
- Dr. Colleen J. Shogan was nominated to the position of Director of the National Archives six days prior to the raid. What did she know about this operation? Did she sign off on the raid? What communication exists between her, the FBI and or the White House on this raid?
- How long was it from the time the warrant was received until it was executed? If there was a risk of these documents being unsecured, why wasn’t the raid conducted immediately?
- What written correspondence exists prior to the raid between the DOJ and the former President, if any? Were warnings issued that a raid was a distinct possibility?
- Why wasn’t this handled professionally and discreetly?
- Was this raid deliberately planned while Donald Trump was off-premises? If so, Why?
- Did the possession of these documents present a risk? If so, please define what that risk was?
- Was it necessary to search the private quarters of the President or the former First Lady? Were any classified materials recovered from there?
- Was there any effort to recover material related to the events on January 6th or materials that did not relate to confidential or classified material?
- Who was the individual that first suggested this manner of recovering these materials? Who was responsible for the planning of this operation?
- Why wasn’t the White House informed of this?
- Who in Congress or any department was informed of this raid prior to its execution?
- The alleged threats against FBI agents – are these credible and are charges pending?
- Is it standard FBI procedure to order security cameras turned off during a search?
While others may decry, “It doesn’t matter – Trump is guilty of something,” the rest of us want to see equitable due process applied. At a minimum, the American people need answers to these questions and those responses should be public for there to be a hint of transparency in this matter.
Blaine Pardoe is a New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author. He is a regular contributor to American Thinker, PJ Media, American Greatness, Bizpac Review, and other conservative sites. His most recent works include the conservative political thriller Blue Dawn tells the story of the violent overthrow of the government by Progressives. The sequel, A Most Uncivil War, is currently available. His book, The Democratic Party Playbook 2022 Edition was an Amazon bestseller for new political humor.
