Rick Scott demands Joe Biden explain why FBI raided Donald Trump compound

police at mar a lago
'Here's what needs to happen today.'

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is demanding President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Chris Wray explain Monday night’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound, reportedly targeting the former President taking classified records from the White House to his Florida residence.

The Mar-a-Lago raid, Scott stressed, is one the Biden administration — and not the former President — must explain.

“Here’s what needs to happen today. Separately, Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, and Joe Biden need to do a press conference, take all questions, explain why they’re doing what they’re doing. What each of them knew when,” Scott argued.

“This should scare every American until we get answers,” Scott continued. “You should have unbelievable concern.”

Scott made the comments during an appearance on the Fox Business Channel’s “Mornings with Maria.” This was his first interview since the Trump raid, first reported by Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch, became global news Monday night.

Trump and allies like Scott sought to cast the search as a weaponization of the criminal justice system and a Democrat-driven effort to keep him from winning another term in 2024 — even though the Biden White House said it had no prior knowledge of it, and the fact that Wray was appointed by Trump five years ago and served as a high-ranking official in a Republican-led Justice Department.

“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump wrote in a statement shortly after news broke of the search. “Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”

Florida’s junior U.S. Senator offered similar thoughts during his interview with Fox.

“I got more phone calls last night from people thinking, ‘What is this? Is this like Latin America, what they do with political opponents in Latin America?'” Scott said.

“This is unprecedented,” Scott fumed at another point in the interview. “A former President, a potential opponent to Biden in 2024, his house gets raided. We know the Biden administration targets their opponents. Merrick Garland targets Democrats’ opponents.”

Scott’s comments Tuesday amplify the concern from a tweet the night before, where he said he wanted answers but did not call for a press availability directly.

“The FBI’s raid of Mar-A-Lago is incredibly concerning, especially given the Biden admin’s history of going after parents and other political opponents. This is 3rd World country stuff. We need answers NOW. This FBI must explain what they were doing today & why,” Scott urged.

Scott has yet to talk to Trump since the raid, he said on Fox Business, but intends to reach out this week.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, said in a statement on Twitter the raid was “an escalation in the weaponization” of U.S. government agencies. Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, said in a tweet the Justice Department “has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization” and said that if Republicans win control of the U.S. House, they will investigate the department.

That Trump would become entangled in a probe into the handling of classified information is all the more striking given how he tried during the 2016 presidential election to exploit an FBI investigation into his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, over whether she mishandled classified information via a private email server she used as secretary of state. Then-FBI Director James Comey concluded Clinton had sent and received classified information, but the FBI did not recommend criminal charges because it determined Clinton had not intended to break the law.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


28 comments

  • PeterH

    August 9, 2022 at 8:44 am

    Hi Rick,

    Do you remember the GQP’s orchestrated coup effort on January 6th? Do you remember Trump leaving the White House with 15 boxes of unrecorded documents?

    1. Donald Trump is the target of a criminal investigation on several counts. Your job as Senator is to hold the Executive Branch accountable for malfeasance. Do your job.

    2. The “raid” is actually a “search” ….. something the FBI does everyday. There is a process. It involves “inside knowledge” …. offered to a Federal Judge to authorize the search.

  • Joe Corsin

    August 9, 2022 at 9:14 am

    Rick Scott was also raided wasn’t he? Went to court for frauds that he DID COMMIT. For these Republicans, it’s law and order for everyone but themselves. Law enforcement is supposed to protect them so that they can grift you see?? Trumpism is a criminal ideology… entitled, anti rule of law movement by the crooks in the GOP.

  • tom palmer

    August 9, 2022 at 9:15 am

    Odd that Gov. DeSantis thought enforcing the law was important when he removed Democrat Andrew Warren, but criticized it when the target is a fellow Republican suspected of breaking the law.
    And, whether anything will come of this is a matter of speculation.

    • Randy Alan Martyn

      August 15, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      President Trump broke no laws like the Russian probe it’s all a fairy tale made up by the Democrats specifically Hillary Clinton who should be in prison

      • PKJ

        August 18, 2022 at 2:43 am

        Nonsense

  • John Susor

    August 9, 2022 at 9:19 am

    This raid on President Trump reminds me of reading the book of “The Night of the Long Knives” or “The Night of the Broken Glass”. The FBI, IRS have become the “brown shirts” of the Democratic Party, they will be go into anyone’s home to do there raids. If this keeps going, it’s going to happen here. The American public has no idea what is happing to them. This is Marxism Communism. Stop the deep swamp. God help us. MAGA

    • Merrick Garland

      August 9, 2022 at 9:43 am

      ^ These are the kinds of idiots who protect criminal billionaires like Orange Hitler. HES A CROOK YOU IMBECILE!!! You’ve been taken for a ride!!! And what we hear from you people first is always “He did nothing wrong so all this is unjustified!” Then after evidence shows he’s a crook we hear, “Political repression! Fake News! Terrible Government!!!” No he’s a GD crook and you people are pro crime!!!

      • Joe

        August 11, 2022 at 9:36 am

        This person’s a real idiot and he’s the problem with the country today he believes the lies that he is telling and his cronies if you guys had something on Donald Trump it would be posted on every news station there is in the world and that’s why you’re waiting homes is because you don’t got nothing but you’re trying with every part of your being to find something if you want to find something find out how come Joe Biden sent messages to his son for him to contact him as soon as possible about the Chinese deal okay find out why his son’s not in prison right now or he is not in prison for what he has done find out why the Democratic party Nancy pelosi and Chuck Schumer and all of them Adam shipped could get by with a lying to the American people and not be sitting in a jail cell somewhere find out why Nancy pelosi’s husband can wreck and total a car and be out with nothing on him no charges whatsoever you tell the American people that okay because we’re not blind we’re not stupid but you seem to be very stupid and very blind cuz you only want to see or hear what you want to see or hear and that’s usually because you’re getting paid big bucks and we need to stop that and make sure that you’re in poverty like the millions of homeless people out on the street.

    • Fred

      August 9, 2022 at 10:30 am

      ^ Buncha false information and right wing propaganda right there. Tis Orange Hitler who is the crook. Judge approved search warrant based on probable cause. Law enforcement just doing their job. You people are liars and pro crime sociopaths.

      • Ang

        August 9, 2022 at 4:28 pm

        Wow Fred–may wanna lay off the sauce there pal. Pro crime huh? What about ol Hunter Biden and his laptop? What about the “big guy”? Wanna talk about “Pro crime” turn around and look at all the democrats. Pelosi and her “nobody’s above the law” however her hubby is “arrested” for DUI and drugs in his system but never charged with anything–you know damn well if it was you or I we’d be thrown the book…Talk about 2-tiered justice system. Don’t wanna hear the “nobody’s above the law” BS when she herself benefits from it–oh, and what about all the House/congress kids having CEO/COO positions in companies in Ukraine? Care to explain that? We taxpayers continually give billions over there–so don’t sit on your high-horse telling us that “Trumps a crook” when there’s PLENTY of finger pointing, examples and NOBODY ever answers–y’all only name call and gaslight by using typical narcissistic words.

        • Pepe le pew

          August 10, 2022 at 6:07 am

          Hey bud, Trump had 4 years to arrest them all and he did noting because there was nothing to arrest for. AG Barr found nothing to arrest anyone one. It was all fake to male you go gaga over Trump. You got duped.

          • Joe

            August 11, 2022 at 9:40 am

            Because the Democratic party paid AG bar big bucks paid the vice president of Donald Trump’s big bucks enough money you can get people to do whatever you want that’s why the press is doing what they want to do and lying to the American people if you’re not an American you son of a b**** get the hell out of this country go to Somalia or someplace where you’ll be happy piece of crap.

        • PKJ

          August 18, 2022 at 2:49 am

          Who cares about Hunter? He’s not working in the White House. He’s not a government employee. That’s always the right’s answer. Get over Hunter. Focus on the former guy.

    • PKJ

      August 18, 2022 at 2:44 am

      That’s ridiculous.

  • Bill

    August 9, 2022 at 10:18 am

    “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, said in a statement on Twitter that it was “an escalation in the weaponization” of U.S. government agencies.”

    Strange comment from someone who weaponizes FL government against anyone who disagrees with his brand of politics. Irony knows no bounds these days apparently.

    • Randy Alan Martyn

      August 15, 2022 at 7:49 pm

      We got to do whatever we can to get rid of Marxism socialism Democrats who poisoned and brainwash a masses through the corrupt media system

  • Sonja Fitch

    August 9, 2022 at 10:27 am

    No one is above the law. Not even you Nazi Rick! Rumor is Trump knew and he buried the “stash” in Ivanka’ coffin. Lol. Lol.

  • Tjb

    August 9, 2022 at 10:33 am

    Why is Rick Scott and Marco Rubio attempting to dismantle Social Security and Medicare. We should be demanding answers on why they want to dismantle these programs that are so important to older working class families.

  • Don’t Look Up

    August 9, 2022 at 10:59 am

    “Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before,”

    Donald Trump

    No! You’re not president anymore! You have no executive privilege. You’re an everyday citizen who has been uncooperative with every investigation …. thus the endless delays.

  • marcus

    August 9, 2022 at 11:41 am

    The Dem party, Just solidified Trumps support. The federal magistrate who signed off on the warrant should be removed from office immediately. Garland should be impeached. The dems have started a war that will come back to haunt them for elections to come.
    First by accusing Trump of russian collusion, along with their lies used to obtain FISA warrants under false pretenses.
    We the People will not forget of Forgive!

    • Joe Corsin

      August 9, 2022 at 3:40 pm

      He was a liar and a crook dude. That’s outside the realm of politics. He must pay for the things he’s done. Quit being a human shield for terrorist leader Abu Bakr Al-Trump.

    • marylou

      August 9, 2022 at 4:14 pm

      Can’t Trump just tell MAGAs what the warrant was for? Seems like he would have been given a receipt or something…???

      • marylou

        August 10, 2022 at 11:13 am

        Trump is refusing to release his copy of the warrant–which would answer all MAGA questions. The warrant lists the charges under which it was filed, and every single item that the FBI took with them. It would be considered prejudicial for the DOJ to release it. Scott, deDICKtator, Moody, and the GOP know this. Now you do too, marcus.

  • Just a comment

    August 9, 2022 at 11:56 am

    Why because he can and yes there’s a lotta gritters and gremlins everywhere

  • YYep

    August 9, 2022 at 12:06 pm

    It might be nice when I had no Intention but what you know mugshots and liability.it is like saying I did not know the lights were changing so fast.
    Or the police should have known in two weeks this feud would led to harms Way

  • Just a comment

    August 9, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    3 tumors one Cancer one bleed out tainted blood infection to gangrene this is s walk in the park

  • tom palmer

    August 9, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    Hey Rick we’re still waiting for you to explain how you defrauded Medicare.

  • rust

    August 10, 2022 at 8:28 am

    Rick, STFU, and get to work! Rick knows damn well that nobody can address the search warrant, except for Damn Tramp. He can publish it, waiving his privacy rights to it. Instead, he grifts from it. Alien Rick, Little Marco, Rona DeSatan and their cronies are hell bent in destroying America with their BS comments on a criminal investigation. Shameless and anti-American, all of them. America is dying and they are cheerleaders for death sooner rather than later. Vote them out!!! GOP stands for “grifting ordinary people.” Tramp will grift and grift and grift till we don’t have a Country anymore. All y’all supporting the grifter, you all be damned!!!

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories