On Tuesday, the day after the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s Florida home at Mar-a-Lago, ABC’s World News Tonight highlighted how not only have Trump’s allies come out in opposition to the FBI’s raid and its lack of transparency but some of Trump’s biggest critics have expressed their dissatisfaction.
Anchor David Muir noted the “growing pressure on the Department of Justice and the FBI really from both sides of the aisle tonight to release something, some sort of explanation for this, you know, unprecedented raid.”
Chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl reported how this criticism “is coming not just from Republicans who are supportive of Trump, this is coming from people that have been quite critical of Trump.”
This includes Republican Governor Larry Hogan “calling on the Biden administration to release all the documents justifying this raid,” Karl added.
According to Karl, Hogan warned: “if the federal government cannot ultimately provide overwhelming evidence that actions were absolutely necessary, then it will only undermine faith in democracy and the rule of law and further divide Americans.”
During CBS Evening News’s analysis of the fallout of the FBI raid, chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa surmised that the raid “could speed up his [Trump’s] decision on 2024.”
Costa added that “many in the party are ready to aggressively go after the Justice Department in 2023 should Republicans win the House majority this fall. House Republican Jim Jordan and others preparing investigations. Political war on the horizon.”
Continuing to fill in for anchor Lester Holt, Tom Llamas speaking to justice correspondent Ken Dilanian remarked how “we can't lose the magnitude of this moment” and asked Dilanian to walk viewers through “how unprecedented a move this was by the Justice Department.”
Dilanian revealed that “legal experts are unaware of any other time in history when a former President's house was searched by law enforcement agents.”
Llamas followed up by asking if “Trump is likely to be charged[?]” Dilanian responded, “not necessarily” and that “It’s possible this was a case of the government wanting its documents back.”
This coverage of the unprecedented raid of a former President’s home was made possible by Verizon on ABC, Allstate on CBS, and Progressive on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript of each segment click “expand”:
ABC’s World News Tonight
August 9, 2022
6:37:54 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: In the meantime, growing pressure on the Department of Justice and the FBI really from both sides of the aisle tonight to release something, some sort of explanation for this, you know, unprecedented raid.
JON KARL: Yeah, this is coming not just from Republicans who are supportive of Trump, this is coming from people that have been quite critical of Trump, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, one of his most prominent Republican critics, is calling on the Biden administration to release all the documents justifying this raid. And he offered a warning, David, listen to what Larry Hogan said. He said, if the federal government cannot ultimately provide overwhelming evidence that actions were absolutely necessary, then it will only undermine faith in democracy and the rule of law and further divide Americans. So, that, a warning coming from somebody who has been quite critical of Donald Trump.
CBS Evening News
August 9, 2022
6:35:31 p.m. EasternJERICKA DUNCAN: For more on the possible criminal and political implications of this FBI search, let's bring in CBS’s Robert Costa. Robert, good evening to you. What sort of implications does this have for a potential run for the former President which is looking at a possible bid in 2024?
ROBERT COSTA: It could speed up his decision on 2024. CBS News has learned tonight that many top Republicans on the Trump side of the party are calling him, saying, get in now, consolidate the base around you, block out rivals from running, and complicate life for the Justice Department. Become a federal candidate even while you might be under federal investigation. Others are saying hold off wait, see how this develops.
DUNCAN: And Donald Trump has endorsed nearly 200 candidates already since he left office. What are Republicans saying in reference to him being this sort of de facto leader by some, some would say that's what he is in the party.
COSTA: He is the leader of a wing of the party but the party isn't universally behind him. As Major said, about a dozen House Republicans are going to be in New Jersey tonight rallying at his side, but Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell today, quiet, silent, didn't want to weigh in, wants to see how this all develops.
That's the mood inside the Senate GOP in some quarters, wait to see how this plays out because they know that Trump is still a risk for the party in many ways but at the same time so many in the party are ready to aggressively go after the Justice Department in 2023 should Republicans win the House majority this fall. House Republican Jim Jordan and others preparing investigations. Political war on the horizon.
NBC Nightly News
August 9, 2022
7:05:48 p.m. EasternTOM LLAMAS: With that new reporting, I want to bring in our justice correspondent Ken Dilanian. Ken, we can't lose the magnitude of this moment. Walk our viewers through how unprecedented a move this was by the Justice Department.
KEN DILANIAN: This appears to be a first, Tom. Legal experts are unaware of any other time in history when a former President's house was searched by law enforcement agents. To get the warrant, the FBI had to convince a federal judge there was evidence of a crime inside Trump's Florida residence. But even before that, Justice Department officials had to make the decision that such a controversial move was the best way to obtain what they were looking for. Well, the DOJ is not commenting. It’s all but certain this search would have been approved by the Attorney General himself who decide that simply asking for the documents, or demanding them with a subpoena wasn't going to work. Tom?
LLAMAS: And Ken, because the home of a former President was searched, the big question is does this mean Trump is likely to be charged?
DILANIAN: Not necessarily. It’s possible this was a case of the government wanting its documents back. That said, government officials have gone to prison in the past for taking classified documents home, Tom. It’s also possible that this is about a lot more than documents. Trump said he did nothing wrong and is calling the search prosecutorial misconduct. Tom?
