The FBI executed a search warrant on Monday at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. During a news conference Tuesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters President Joe Biden was not given advanced notice of the FBI’s plans.
“The president and the White House learned about this FBI search from public reports. We learned just like the American public did,” Jean-Pierre said.
She said the White House would be referring all questions about the search to the Department of Justice which oversees the FBI.
The FBI search was part of an investigation into whether Trump took classified records from the White House, according to sources familiar with the matters. Trump announced the search in a statement, calling it “not necessary”.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” he said in the statement.
The Justice Department and the FBI have declined requests for comment. The Justice Department has been investigating potential mishandling of documents by the former president after the National Archives received 15 boxes of White House records earlier this year from Mar-a-Lago that they say should have been turned over when Trump left office.
This post was produced and edited by Rachel Liesendahl, Kenichi Serino and Matt Rasnic.
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