The FBI searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday, a high-profile step in the former president’s continuing investigations.
While the FBI has not officially commented on why the raid occurred, facts suggest that it was most likely part of an ongoing investigation into Trump’s removal of classified White House papers towards the conclusion of his presidency.
FBI investigators allegedly concentrated their search on Trump’s office area, removing papers and documents and even breaking into a safe.
It is unclear how the raid would affect the 2024 race, but if convicted of stealing papers from the White House, Trump could face up to three years in jail and be disqualified from seeking public office.
According to a source close to the president, the raid is only likely to energize the president into announcing a campaign for president in 2024.
According to the source, the raid may prompt Trump to declare his candidacy in the hopes of avoiding prosecution under the long-held rule that sitting presidents are not convicted of crimes.