Eric Trump: FBI Mar-a-Lago search focused on documents sought by National Archives

Eric Trump, one of former President Trump’s sons, said in an interview late Monday that the FBI’s search at his father’s Mar-a-Lago home earlier in the day was focused on documents sought by the National Archives.

“Sean, the purpose for the raid from what they said was because the National Archives wanted to, you know, corroborate whether or not Donald Trump had any documents in his possession,” Eric Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. 

“And my father has worked so collaboratively with them for months. In fact, the lawyer that’s been working on this was totally shocked. He goes, ‘I had such an amazing relationship with these people and all of a sudden, on no notice, they send, you know, 20 cars and 30 agents?’ ” he added.

Earlier on Monday, the former president said that the FBI had raided his Florida estate, adding that agents broke into his safe. He said that the raid was “unannounced” and called it “not necessary or appropriate.”

It was not immediately clear from the elder Trump’s statement what the search warrant was focused on or what documents or property agents were examining. 

The raid followed reporting earlier this year that the Justice Department had been asked by the National Archives to look into the former president’s handling of records after more than a dozen boxes, including some containing classified information, were recovered by Archives officials that Trump should have turned over.

The Mar-a-Lago search was immediately criticized by Republicans, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) saying on Monday that should the GOP take back the House in the November midterms, his party would investigate the Justice Department. 

The Hill has reached out to the National Archives for comment.