‘FBI sought nuclear documents in search at Trump’s home’

Former US President Donald Trump in New York City Wednesday. Pic/AFP

U.S. federal agents were looking for documents relating to nuclear weapons when they raided former President Donald Trump's home in Florida this week, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. It was not clear if such documents were recovered at the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, the Post said. Trump said on Friday on social media that the "nuclear weapons issue is a hoax", responding to the Post report.

The U.S. Justice Department asked a judge on Thursday to make public the warrant that authorised the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, after Trump, a Republican, portrayed it as political retribution. The request means the public could soon learn more about what investigators were looking for during the unprecedented search of a former president's home.

The move was part of an investigation into whether Trump illegally removed records from the White House as he left office in January 2021, some of which the Justice Department believes are classified. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the country's top law enforcement officer and an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, told a news conference that he had personally approved the search. The Justice Department also seeks to make public a redacted receipt of the items seized. "The department does not take such a decision lightly. Where possible, it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means as an alternative to a search, and to narrowly scope any search that is undertaken," Garland said.

His decision to publicly confirm the search was highly unusual. U.S. law enforcement officials typically do not discuss ongoing investigations in order to protect people's rights. Garland said the Justice Department made the request to make public the warrant "in light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter."

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