What Was the Purpose of the Raid on Mar-a-Lago?

 

It’s been almost two weeks and the purpose of the raid is unclear. Leaks indicating that they were looking for nuclear secrets appear to be far-fetched. If Trump took nonclassified records that didn’t belong to him, that could have been resolved given his cooperation in June. Some of the FBI people were also participants in the Russia hoax.

Some have suggested, including a Newsweek reporter, that they were looking for Russiagate documents, including Crossfire Hurricane ones. But it seems improbable that Trump would have only one copy of these records. Wouldn’t copies and scanned versions have been made of anything related to Russiagate? What think ye?

If the raid was to retrieve Russiagate documents, then it’s not about Trump malfeasance but is instead about covering up the illegal and unethical activities of the FBI, CIA, etc.

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  1. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    I Walton (View Comment):

    Democrats all lack historical knowledge and few have any grasp of the rest of the world.

    Of course, the main reason to never vote for them is because they are the Party of Satan. 

    • #31
  2. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    I Walton (View Comment):

    Democrats all lack historical knowledge and few have any grasp of the rest of the world.

    Of course, the main reason to never vote for them is because they are the Party of Satan.

    Clearly. 

    • #32
  3. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    This is the way I see it.  It’s the simplest answer that acknowledges Three-letter Agency (TLAs) malice over incompetence.

    It is accepted that Trump declassified Russiagate documents, but they were never released.
    It is reported that Trump is suing top officials of the TLAs and the DNC and their lawyers.
    It has been suggested and is likely that the documents Trump had were declassified Russia-gate documents.

    Nobody among those named in the law suit were concerned about what Trump had.
    The time of the court case is approaching, people realize that Trump may have the goods on them.
    They make a friendly check on the documents and see what they are.
    Now they talk about it and they know that they are in trouble.
    They want to take the all documents from Trump — including any xeroxed copies and electronic copies he might have made.

    They need to physically search for any and all of these copies.
    They make an excuse to search for the documents, with a politically aligned librarian at the Archives to be their witness — he saw Trump carrying out a box when he left the White House.
    They get a search warrant.
    They hope to do this as quietly as possible, and the search will take time.
    They wait until Trump is out of town and they don’t notify his lawyers.
    They begin to search his house.

    Trump loudly lets the cat out of the bag.
    So they say that he’s got Archive documents, but that doesn’t cut it with the public.
    So they say they’re classified documents, but that doesn’t cut it.
    They say they’re NUCLEAR classified documents, but no one believes it.
    So they say he was spying — remember: Russia!
    And just for good measure they say he’s obstructing an unspecified investigation.

    They don’t intend to handcuff Trump, or arrest him, or prosecute him.
    They just don’t want Trump to use the documents for the court case.
    And they don’t want these documents to be made public.

    Everything else is just gravy.

    • #33
  4. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    FLICKER IS REALLY SMART NOBODY IS ON THAT LEVEL!

    General Flynn was on Joe Pags this week. Thursday and Friday. 

    • #34
  5. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Flicker (View Comment):
    They don’t intend to handcuff Trump, or arrest him, or prosecute him.

    I was with you up until this point. I think the Left is murderous, and not just targeting DJT.

    • #35
  6. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    They don’t intend to handcuff Trump, or arrest him, or prosecute him.

    I was with you up until this point. I think the Left it murderous, and not just targeting DJT.

    They might find something useful, but Flicker is probably right from top to bottom.  They’ll just sit on them.   It works unless Trump made copies of useful stuff.

    • #36
  7. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    #Washington: The more known about the warrant, the less known. Dan Henninger, WSJOpinion

     

    https://audioboom.com/posts/8142955-washington-the-more-known-about-the-warrant-the-less-known-dan-henninger-wsjopinion

     

    10 minutes

    • #37
  8. Buckpasser Member
    Buckpasser
    @Buckpasser

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    I think the hope was 1/6 memorabilia. And a lovely gown, shoes and accessories. Maybe the big reason for the raid is to show they could.

    I bet the FIB agents look maahhhhvelous when they wear Melania’s underwear that they took.

    • #38
  9. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    They don’t intend to handcuff Trump, or arrest him, or prosecute him.

    I was with you up until this point. I think the Left it murderous, and not just targeting DJT.

    Well, they didn’t kill anyone.  But I think they are making allowances for such things, what with the nearly 100,000 new armed IRS criminal investigators.  But I really think the raid grew out of a need to just vacuum up all the documents.

    And it may have mushroomed a little in the execution out of malignant arrogance.

    And you know, it may be that Garland still isn’t aware of all the details of the Russia-gate, and is just doing what he’s told.  “You need to search for the documents?  Okaaay.  Then do what you need to do.”  But he’s highly uncomfortable with it all.  How often does someone get so nervous that he can’t swallow?

    • #39
  10. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Buckpasser (View Comment):

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    I think the hope was 1/6 memorabilia. And a lovely gown, shoes and accessories. Maybe the big reason for the raid is to show they could.

    I bet the FIB agents look maahhhhvelous when they wear Melania’s underwear that they took.

    Word on the street is that they put Melania’s panties over their heads and peered out through the leg holes, making faces and taking selfies.

    I’m not saying I believe it.  But it’s a data point.

    • #40
  11. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    The raid looks to me like an attempt to unjustly discredit Trump and, more importantly, to make people shun supporting him out of fear of government persecution.

    • #41
  12. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    They will never get a commupance. They never do.

    And their behavior implies that they have no expectation of ever being out of power again.  They stole the 2020 election, and they will steal more.

    • #42
  13. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    Skyler (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    They will never get a commupance. They never do.

    And their behavior implies that they have no expectation of ever being out of power again. They stole the 2020 election, and they will steal more.

    Their behavior implies they intend to sacrifice every principle to which they give lip service in order to keep from ever being out of power again. That’s for sure.

    Of course, though, it’s important to remember that the people who decided on this raid probably saw it as a way not just to cow those seeking to stay employed, viewed as respectable, and out of trouble. The other purpose of the raid is to provoke the foolish into doing something that can be used to validate the the Left’s  “right wing extremism” spiel.

    • #43
  14. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    The rule of thumb is now this: Anything the FBI does is to defend itself and its masters from the American people

    • #44
  15. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    I think they’ve given us more than a dozen excuses by now. They’re throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks, and their media minions are happily pretending this is all just fine.

    What I thought was really funny was when the media shouted that Trump must release the warrant! So he does, and then they shout “How dare you release the warrant? That endangers the FBI!”

    Whatever affidavit gets released will be so heavily redacted as to be useless. We’ll never see the actual thing.

    If you recall the techniques used by the Clintons , try excuse #1 , doesn’t fly , ok excuse #2 , doesn’t fly ,ok try excuse #3 and so on until they find one that semi-fits. 
    the press never asks, if that’s true then  why they didn’t they say it  in the first place?

    • #45
  16. Duane Oyen Member
    Duane Oyen
    @DuaneOyen

    It’s quite clear that the purpose of the raid was to get and shred any internal FBI documents that would prove embarrassing to the bureau when the House Investigations Committee starts its probe in early 2023. 

    • #46
  17. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward?  Because if the latter, that might be me.

    • #47
  18. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    FWIW:

    • #48
  19. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    The latter. Someone (or several someones) suggested that for all his talk about how the FBI/DOJ overreached, he would eventually return to the (new) “fine people” hoax.

    • #49
  20. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    The latter. Someone (or several someones) suggested that for all his talk about how the FBI/DOJ overreached, he would eventually return to the (new) “fine people” hoax.

    Peter Robinson seemed repeatedly “shocked” by such bad behaviors too, but either he’s developing deeper insights or he just keeps his “shocked” to himself more, these days.

    • #50
  21. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    I think it’s possible that McCarthy got a phone call.

    • #51
  22. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    Flicker (View Comment):

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    I think it’s possible that McCarthy got a phone call.

    McCarthy probably has the circle of friends he has had for 30 years.   Once an insider, always an insider.

    • #52
  23. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    Okay, now Andrew McCarthy has gone full berserk on the FBI in this article published yesterday.   He excoriates them like I’ve never seen before from any conservative pundit.   I don’t get it, the guy is all over the place.   Maybe he is bipolar!?  Whatever it is, it is getting worse.

    • #53
  24. The Other Diane Coolidge
    The Other Diane
    @TheOtherDiane

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    Okay, now Andrew McCarthy has gone full berserk on the FBI in this article published yesterday. He excoriates them like I’ve never seen before from any conservative pundit. I don’t get it, the guy is all over the place. Maybe he is bipolar!? Whatever it is, it is getting worse.

    I can’t read the full article since it’s behind a paywall, @stevenseward. My first thought from the many-link-filled, very promising first paragraph of the article, though, is that @donG may be onto something when he says Andy McCarthy has many decades-long friendships that influence his thinking.

    I have seen McCarthy speak in person just one memorable time.  In 2018 my husband and I drove 2 1/2 hours to attend a small National Review Institute event in Palm Beach where he interviewed his good friend Rush Limbaugh.  I believe  this sudden change in attitude may have Rush’s heavenly fingerprints all over it.

    • #54
  25. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    Attorney General Garland knew or should have known that getting and using a search warrant on the home of a former president was an unprecedented move. As in literally never done in the history of the United States.

    Mr. Garland knew or should have known that therefore getting and using a search warrant on the home of a former president would generate a lot of public interest.

    Mr. Garland was in 2016 nominated for a position on the United States Supreme Court, being presented to the American public as an eminently smart and rational person. Hence it is reasonable to expect that he should have known a lot.

    Mr. Garland knew or should have known that a large portion of the public has suspicions about the motivations of some government agencies, particularly with respect to their behavior toward Mr. Trump. He might think those members of the public are grossly mistaken, but he had to know the suspicions were there.

    Mr. Garland knew or should have known that much of the American public would not accept “normal procedures” as an explanation of an unprecedented move of such high public interest as getting an using a search warrant on the home of a former president. Nor would they accept only the limited information that might come from the court itself, constrained as the court is by procedural details.

    Mr. Garland knew or should have known that without a clear, detailed, and well documented explanation for the unprecedented move of getting and using a search warrant on the home of a former president a large portion of the public would become suspicious of the motivations behind that unprecedented move.

    That Mr. Garland did not provide a clear, detailed, and well documented explanation for the unprecedented move of getting and using a search warrant on the home of a former president can be attributed either to Mr. Garland not knowing any of the above (stupidity or ignorance), or to a desire to hide from the American public his motivations for undertaking the unprecedented move of getting and using a search warrant on the home of a former president (malicious intent).

    I know we’re generally not supposed to ascribe to malicious intent that which can be explained by stupidity or ignorance, but in this case I find stupidity or ignorance too hard to believe. That what limited explanations the Department of Justice has offered keep changing does not help alleviate the suspicions about intent.

    The other one to consider is arrogance.  Meaning we’re going to do it because I say so, and the public can jam it, because we are in charge of them.

    • #55
  26. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gazpacho Grande' (View Comment):
    The other one to consider is arrogance.  Meaning we’re going to do it because I say so, and the public can jam it, because we are in charge of them.

    The deep state, the ruling class, the uni-party, etc. have financial interests and they think they can run everything better. They all live in the same neighborhood and they all know each other and that is how they think. Sociopathic parasites and central planners. 

    Act accordingly.

    • #56
  27. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    Okay, now Andrew McCarthy has gone full berserk on the FBI in this article published yesterday. He excoriates them like I’ve never seen before from any conservative pundit. I don’t get it, the guy is all over the place. Maybe he is bipolar!? Whatever it is, it is getting worse.

    I think he comments based on what information he has, then changes his opinion as more information comes in. Strange how that happens.

    • #57
  28. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    I just read a piece by Andrew McCarthy in National Review in which he claims that all documents Trump had in his possession are considered property of the Federal Gubmint, no matter if they are de-classified or not, and that the FBI raid was launched simply to get them back. He also claims that Trump either stonewalled or simply didn’t comply with earlier requests to give back the documents, thus justifying this raid. This is almost a complete reversal of his previous articles on the raid in which he was suspicious of government actions and purported reasons.

    Props to whoever it was who called it.

    You mean whoever called it about that supposed justification, or whoever called it about Andy McCarthy going back again to believing the FBI/DOJ/etc are fine people who would never do anything untoward? Because if the latter, that might be me.

    Okay, now Andrew McCarthy has gone full berserk on the FBI in this article published yesterday. He excoriates them like I’ve never seen before from any conservative pundit. I don’t get it, the guy is all over the place. Maybe he is bipolar!? Whatever it is, it is getting worse.

    I think he comments based on what information he has, then changes his opinion as more information comes in. Strange how that happens.

    The only trouble is, the stuff he is excoriating the FBI for in the article yesterday, is stuff from five years ago or more, like the phony FISA Court applications and hiding the truth about the Steele Dossier and Hunter Biden.  In last week’s article the FBI could do no wrong.

    • #58
  29. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gazpacho Grande’ (View Comment):
    The other one to consider is arrogance. Meaning we’re going to do it because I say so, and the public can jam it, because we are in charge of them.

    The deep state, the ruling class, the uni-party, etc. have financial interests and they think they can run everything better. They all live in the same neighborhood and they all know each other and that is how they think. Sociopathic parasites and central planners.

    Act accordingly.

     

     

     

    Analysis including a segment I hadn’t heard before: 

    This is even better analysis and commentary on Sam Harris revealing himself as an elitist communist on the trigonometry podcast. Start at 16:00 and it goes for about 15 minutes:

     

    https://omny.fm/shows/red-eye-radio/red-eye-radio-8-19-22-part-2

     

    Red Eye Radio is really excellent as long as the news they are talking about doesn’t break late in the day, because they sleep before the show starts. They are really good at talking about complicated and multi dimensional things. Really thoughtful conservatives that can explain things really well. 

    • #59
  30. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

     

     

     

    • #60
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