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Trump's initially 'upbeat' mood about the FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid turned dark when GOP support began to wane, report says
- Trump was initially "upbeat" about the FBI Mar-a-Lago raid as he believed it would benefit him, per The Washington Post.
- GOP support began to wane following reports that Trump might have taken classified documents about nuclear weapons.
- In response, Trump's formerly buoyant mood has at times turned dark, the report says.
1 of 32 Photos in Gallery©Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was searched by the FBI. Take a look inside his exclusive resort that the public never sees.
- The FBI executed a search warrant on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday, Trump said in a statement.
- Mar-a-Lago is Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Florida. The property made a number of headlines and served as the First Family's gilded getaway throughout Trump's presidency.
- Here's a look inside the exclusive resort that the public doesn't get to see.
The FBI searched former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump confirmed in a statement on Monday.
"These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home...is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," the statement read.
The search was first reported by Florida Politics.
During Trump's presidency, the exclusive resort was often referred to as "the winter White House."
Now, it's just his house.
Following the end of his presidential term, Trump decamped to the ornate resort. Reports in 2020 of construction work at the family's on-property living quarters and Melania Trump touring a local school (presumably for son Barron) stoked rumors of the move long before it was official. Neighbors even publicly spoke about wanting Trump to stay away, though it clearly didn't deter him.
Mar-a-Lago has hosted a number of high-powered visitors over the years, as it has seemingly always served as the Trump family's gilded weekend getaway. Mar-a-Lago has served as a lavish backdrop to host important dignitaries with its elaborately decorated halls. It was built to impress.
Case in point: the property was closed for 57 days amid the coronavirus pandemic after visitors like the press secretary to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazil's Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Nestor Forster tested positive for the coronavirus in March.
Here's a look inside the sprawling complex, which was built in the early 20th century, where the Trumps have hosted opulent holiday parties and watched Super Bowls alongside members of the exclusive private club.
Former President Donald Trump was initially "upbeat" about the FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago residence, but his mood at times turned dark when GOP support started waning, according to a report.
Sources told The Washington Post that Trump believed the FBI raid would benefit him as it looked like the Justice Department had overreached.
"He feels it's a political coup for him," one friend who had spoken with the former president multiple times told The Post, speaking under the condition of anonymity.
Trump believed the raid would cause Republicans to rally around him, the report says, and would create more support for a potential presidential bid in 2024.
While Republicans initially spoke out strongly against the raid, their public support became more muted when records unsealed on Friday revealed that the FBI had seized 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago. The Washington Post reported that the bureau searched for classified documents about nuclear weapons.
Related video: DOJ, FBI still silent on Trump FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago
Reports suggest Republicans are now struggling to respond to the revelations, and some Trump allies are starting to distance themselves.
Some Republicans have conceded that it would be concerning if Trump kept information about nuclear weapons.
On Friday, the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative House Republicans, canceled at short-notice a press conference about the Mar-a-Lago raid, according to CBS reporter Scott MacFarlane.
Following this shift in support, Trump's buoyant mood has at times turned dark, The Post reported, according to people who had been around him.
Despite this, many of Trump's most loyal allies, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have strongly supported him.
Trump's supporters across the US have continued to back him, with users of his Truth Social platform calling for civil war and advocating for violence against the FBI, NBC reported.
On Saturday, armed supporters of former President Donald Trump protested outside the FBI office in Phoenix, Arizona, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
The Department of Justice raided Trump's Florida residence to investigate whether he broke three laws, including the Espionage Act, by taking government records with him.
Trump's defense of the records found at Mar-a-Lago has continued to change. He has baselessly suggested evidence was planted, falsely accused former President Barack Obama of doing the same, and claimed that documents he took were automatically declassified.
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