Federal prosecutors are seeking to prevent former President Donald Trump from making any statements that could endanger law enforcement agents involved in his classified documents case. This request comes after Mr. Trump made what prosecutors called “grossly misleading” assertions about the F.B.I.’s search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022, where over 100 classified documents were discovered. Trump falsely claimed that President Biden had authorized the use of deadly force during the search, a statement that prosecutors say distorts the truth.
The F.B.I. executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago with extraordinary care, according to prosecutors. They scheduled the search for a time when Mr. Trump and his family would be away, coordinated with his attorney, Secret Service agents, and Mar-a-Lago staff, and planned for contingencies in case Trump arrived on the scene. Despite these precautions, Trump’s false claims about the search have raised concerns among prosecutors that his statements could put law enforcement agents at risk.
Prosecutors have not sought to impose a gag order on Mr. Trump but have asked the judge overseeing the case to revise his conditions of release. They want to prohibit him from making any public comments that could pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents involved in the investigation. This request marks the first time that prosecutors have sought to restrict Trump’s public statements in the case, highlighting the seriousness of their concerns about the impact of his statements.
The request to Judge Aileen M. Cannon is a response to Mr. Trump’s recent social media post in which he falsely claimed that President Biden authorized the use of lethal force during the Mar-a-Lago search. The post was triggered by the unsealing of an F.B.I. operational plan for the search, which included a standard reference to lethal force being authorized as part of the operation. Prosecutors argue that Trump’s mischaracterization of the events surrounding the search could endanger the safety of law enforcement agents involved in the case.
As the legal proceedings in Mr. Trump’s classified documents case continue, prosecutors are taking steps to address concerns about the potential impact of his public statements. By asking the judge to revise his conditions of release to prevent him from making misleading or inflammatory remarks that could endanger law enforcement personnel, prosecutors are seeking to uphold the integrity and safety of the investigation. This latest development underscores the complex and high-stakes nature of the legal battle surrounding the former president’s handling of classified information.
