Photo: Adobe Stock
The fallout from the Aug. 8 FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago continued this week after President Trump claimed that federal agents had seized his passports during the controversial search of his property.
On Monday, Trump took to Truth Social and said the following: “Wow! In the raid by the FBI of Mar-a-Lago, they stole my three Passports (one expired), along with everything else. This is an assault on a political opponent at a level never seen before in our Country. Third World!”
Despite Trump’s contention that his passports were obtained by the FBI, many in the media, most notably CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, reported that the Department of Justice was not in possession of Trump’s passport.
O’ Donnell tweeted, “According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump’s passports. Trump had accused the FBI of stealing his three passports during the search of his Mar-a-Lago home.”
However, those initial reports were incorrect, and by the DOJ’s own admission, it has been confirmed that Trump was indeed correct that the FBI had taken his passports.
The Washington Times reported Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich posted an email from Jay Bratt, head of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division, saying agents took two expired passports and one diplomatic one. He added that the passports would be returned to President Trump.
In the email, Bratt wrote, “We have learned that the filter agents seized three passports belonging to President Trump, two expired and one being his active diplomatic passport.” Bratt concluded by writing, “We are returning them, and they will be ready for pickup at WFO at 2 p.m. today.”
Budowich then fired back at Norah O’Donnell on Twitter by saying, “This is how Fake News works, folks. Biden admin actively feeds half-truths & lies that the media willingly amplifies—advancing a partisan narrative to attack Trump. Did your ‘source’ read you this email? Did you bother asking if they indeed seized the passports?”