The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have sent out a joint bulletin to local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies warning of increased threats in the wake of the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
The internal memo, dated Friday, did not reference the 45th president or the name of his private golf club by name, instead noting an uptick in threats “following the FBI’s recent execution of a search warrant in Palm Beach, Florida.” The agencies did not release the bulletin to the public, though it was obtained through numerous news outlets, the first being ABC News.
READ IN FULL: FBI’S UNSEALED SEARCH WARRANT FOR TRUMP MAR-A-LAGO RAID
“The FBI and DHS have observed an increase in threats to federal law enforcement and, to a lesser extent, other law enforcement and government officials following the FBI’s recent execution of a search warrant in Palm Beach, Florida,” the joint bulletin said. “These threats are occurring primarily online and across multiple platforms, including social media sites, web forums, video sharing platforms, and image boards. The FBI and DHS would like to ensure that law enforcement, court, and government personnel are aware of the range of threats and criminal and violent incidents.”
The memo also alleged that both agencies “have observed an increase in violent threats posted on social media against federal officials and facilities, including a threat to place a so-called dirty bomb in front of FBI Headquarters and issuing general calls for ‘civil war’ and ‘armed rebellion.'”
Getting specific, the bulletin also stated that the FBI and DHS had “identified multiple articulated threats and calls for the targeted killing of judicial law enforcement and government officials associated with the Palm Beach search, including the federal judge who approved the Palm Beach search warrant.”
The bulletin also cited the deadly standoff at the FBI Cincinnati Field Office earlier this week when a man “attempted to forcibly enter” the building and was shot and killed in a standoff with agents and law enforcement.
“While there is no current, specific, credible threat to any of our employees or locations, recent events such as the 11 August 2022 attempted entry of the FBI’s Cincinnati field office, remind us that our important work could put us in situations that can be both difficult and dangerous,” the agencies said.
Monday’s unprecedented search by the FBI was reportedly related to boxes of documents Trump brought back with him to his Florida resort after leaving office. The National Archives and Records Administration said some presidential records in 15 boxes obtained from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year included materials marked as classified.
The warrant that allowed FBI agents to execute the search, unsealed on Friday, revealed that the former president was being investigated for a possible violation of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice.
FBI agents found several classified documents during the raid of the residence, with some documents being considered the highest level of classification, according to the warrant. In its search, the agency recovered 11 sets of classified documents among 20 boxes that were taken, including handwritten notes, binders full of photos, and the executive grant of clemency given to Trump ally Roger Stone.
Trump has not been charged in the incident, and the investigation into the handling of White House documents is underway. However, the warrant detailed possible violations of several U.S. statutes. The former president rejected reports indicating that the FBI obtained multiple sets of classified information from the Florida resort, saying that the files he possessed were “all declassified.”
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Regardless of if Trump is charged or not, the incident has unified many Republicans around the belief that there is a double standard in the FBI with regard to how it treats political figures.
Trump-aligned GOP lawmakers have argued that the FBI has appeared to approach the Republican ex-president without the presumption of innocence granted to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, when she was investigated for her use of a private email server or Hunter Biden as he faces investigations into his business and tax dealings. Many top Republicans have opted to withhold judgment thus far, though. Most Democrats have taken a similar course, with party leaders refusing to comment on the search.
