>>> THAT UNPRECEDENTED FBI SEARCH OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S
HOME IS TRIGGALING A POLITICAL FIRESTORM ON THE RIGHT.
DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE'S THE VICTIM HERE, NOT THE BAD GUY,
AND MOST REPUBLICANS ARE GETTING IN LINE BEHIND HIM.
IN A STATEMENT, THE FORMER PRESIDENT CALLS MONDAY'S SEARCH,
QUOTE, PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT. THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE JUSTICE
SYSTEM AND AN ATTACK BY REDICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS WHO DON'T WANT ME
TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024 AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO STOP
REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES IN THE UPCOMING MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
THE FORMER PRESIDENT OFFERED NO FACTS.
NO FACTS TO BACK UP ANY OF THAT. WE SHOULD NOTE THE SEARCH
WARRANT WAS ISSUED BY A FEDERAL MAGISTRATE, BUT 91 DAYS NOW TO
THE MIDTERM ELECTION AND AS TRUMP PREPARES TO RUN AGAIN IN
2024, IT IS CLEAR TRUMP AND MOST OTHER REPUBLICANS SEE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MOBILIZE THE GOP BASE HERE.
PERHAPS MOST STRIKING IN THE REPUBLICAN REACTION WERE THE
WORDS OF THE MAN WHO MIGHT BE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN
LEADER KEVIN McCARTHY. AGAIN, THE WAURRRANT WAS LEGALL
EXECUTED BUT McCARTHY CALLED IT INTOLERABLE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND, McCARTHY SAID, PRESERVE YOUR
DOCUMENTS. AND CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR.
WITH ME NOW TO SHARE THE REPORTING AND THEIR INSIGHTS,
KAITLAN COLLINS IS STILL WITH US ALONG WITH AYESHA RASCOE, LEIGH
ANN CALDWELL OF THE WASHINGTON POST.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG TO CONNECT THESE DOTS.
NUMBER ONE, THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED.
NUMBER TWO, THE RIGHT HAS LONG HAD GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE DEEP
STATE, THE FBI, ET CETERA. WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE WEEKS WHERE
THE POLITICAL CONSAG HAS BEEN, HMM, THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER
FOR THE DEMOCRATS. THEY JUST SEE THE OPPORTUNITY
HERE TO LIGHT IT UP. >> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT, I
DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CONNECT THOSE TWO THINGS.
LIKE, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS DOING IS COMPLETELY
SEPARATE FROM THE POLITICAL REALM OF DEMOCRATS, BUT THIS
DOES STEP ON DEMOCRATS' VICTORY LAP A LITTLE BIT OF THEY HAVE
HAD A REALLY GOOD LAST SEVERAL WEEKS HEADING INTO THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SO IT JUST CROWDS IT OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE
THAT. AS FAR AS WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE
SAYING, THEY THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY GOOD FOR REPUBLICANS
AND FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT SHOULD HE DECIDE TO RUN.
WE'LL SEE IF THAT BEARS TRUTH. BUT YOU KNOW, DONALD TRUMP HAS
ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST TENUOUS PART OF POLITICS.
WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHO IT'S GOING TO IMPACT AND WHO'S GOING
TO BENEFIT FROM IT. AND WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT
THIS YET. >> YOU SEE THIS FIRESTORM ON THE
RIGHT NOW, 90 DAYS TO THE ELECTION.
CAN YOU SUSTAIN IT FOR 90 DAYS? DID MERRICK GARLAND, FOLLOWING
THE IDEA YOU KEEP THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OUT OF AN ELECTION,
60 DAYS, 90 DAYS, WE'LL FIND OUT THESE THINGS, BUT THESE ARE SOME
OF THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES REACTING.
RON DeSANTIS SAYS THIS SHOWS WE'RE A BANANA REPUBLIC.
MARCO RUBIO, SOMETHING WE HAVE SEEN MANY TIMES FROM THIRD WORLD
MARXIST DICTATORS. WE MUST SEE THE PROBABLE CAUSE
AFFIDAVIT BEFORE MAKING A SKR
JUDGMENT. ASIA HUTCHINSON IS NOT A TRUMP
FAN. HE WANTS TO RAISE QUESTIONS, BUT
HE'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING MERRICK GARLAND, MAKE IT PUBLIC.
IF THAT PROBABLE CAUSE WARRANT IS DAMNING, THAT HURTS TRUMP.
>> IT OBVIOUSLY DOES HURT TRUMP. FOR PEOPLE LIKE DeSANTIS OR EVEN
MIKE PENCE, I'M SURE THEY'RE QUIETLY CRYING OVER THIS
HAPPENING BECAUSE, LOOK, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING BETTER FOR
DeSANTIS TO SAY I'M TAKING UP THE MANTLE OF TRUMP, BUT HE'S
OFF TO THE SIDE RIGHT NOW. I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND
I'M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT WHILE TRUMP IS HAVING SOME ISSUES.
SO I MEAN, I THINK THIS IDEA, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A POLITICAL
SHOW. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE
POLITICS OF IT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK ADD THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS
OF IT, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE
THE FBI RAID YOUR HOUSE, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT A GREAT THING.
AND THE LEGAL THING, LIKE THE LEGAL ISSUES COULD SUPERSEDE THE
POLITICAL ISSUES. THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
>> THAT'S A CONVERSATION WASHINGTON HAS HAD FOR A LONG
TIME. HE'S BEEN TWICE IMPEACHED.
HE'S THE GUY WHO SAID HE COULD STAND ON FIFTH AVENUE AND SHOOT
SOMEBODY AND GET AWAY. HE PLAYS THE VICTIM CARD VERY
WELL. THEY'RE RAISING MONEY OFF THIS
AS SOON AS IT HAPPENED. LET'S LISTEN, KAITLAN COLLINS,
TO THE VOICE OF DONALD TRUMP. IT'S INTERESTING OR IRONIC, PICK
YOUR WORD FOR IT, DAY. HE IS SCHEDULED TO CALL IN TO A
POLITICAL RALLY FOR SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR, WHO IS
NOW RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. LISTEN TO DONALD TRUMP.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE.
THIS WAS A STRANGE DAY. YOU PROBABLY ALL READ ABOUT IT,
BUT VERY IMPORTANT. >> SO TELL US THE TRUTH IN TERMS
OF THE REPORTING. IT'S NOT A GOOD DAY WHEN THE FBI
RAIDS YOUR HOUSE. TRUMP IS VERY GOOD, VERY
EFFECTIVE, I KNOW DEMOCRATS OUT THERE GET ANGRY WHEN YOU SAY
THIS, BUT VERY EFFECTIVE AT PLAYING THE VICTIM CARD AND
TURNING CRISES INTO POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THEY HAVE TO BE RATTLED IN TRUMP WORLD.
>> HE'S CERTAINLY TRYING TO USE IT TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS BOLSTERS THIS ARGUMENT THAT HE'S LONG HELD
WHICH IS BASICALLY THE GOVERNMENT IS PITTED AGAINST
HIM. THEY ARE CONSTANTLY GOING AFTER
HIM, WITCH HUNT, REVERSE WATERGATE WHICH IS HOW HE'S
FRAMING THIS. THAT HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING
POSITION OF THIS. IT'S TRUE THAT COULD BOLSTER
THAT. YOU'RE HEARING IT FROM
REPUBLICANS AND HIS OWN FAMILY MEMBERS WHO SAY IF HE DOES
DECIDE TO RUN IN 2024, THEY BELIEVE THIS WILL PUT WIND IN
HIS SAILS. YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW
THIS WENT DOWN YESTERDAY. THESE FBI AGENTS SHOWED UP AT
MAR-A-LAGO AT WE'RE TOLD BETWEEN 8:00 AND 10:00 IN THE MORNING.
IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT 7:00 P.M. EASTERN LAST NIGHT THAT THE
PRESIDENT, FORMER PRESIDENT CONFIRMED IN A STATEMENT THAT
YES, IT HAD HAPPENED. THAT WAS THE FIRST CONFIRMATION,
HIM IN HIS OWN WORDS SAYING THIS HAPPENED.
I THINK THERE'S PART OF THIS WHERE HE'S USING THIS TO HIS
POLITICAL ADVANTAGE, BUT THERE'S THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS WHERE
PEOPLE IN HIS OWN ORBIT ARE SAYING THEY WENT AND EXECUTED A
SEARCH WARRANT ON HIS RESIDENCE. THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER
OR NOT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE THERE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT'S
SO EXPLOSIVE AND DELICATE AND SENSITIVE THAT THERE MUST BE
SOMETHING IF THEY TOOK THAT STEP.
WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
>> THEY'RE ATTACKING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BUT EVEN LONG
SERVING REPUBLICANS IN THIS TOWN WHO KNOW MERRICK GARLAND WELL
FROM HIS DAYS MOVING UP FROM THE FEDERAL BENCH, THEY DON'T THINK
HE WOULD SIGN OFF ON THIS UNLESS HE SAW SOMETHING THAT GAVE HIM
GOOD REASON TO DO SO. SO, THIS MORNING OUTRAGE AND
CONDEMNATIONWIFTLY POURING IN FROMOP REPUBLICANS FOLLOWING
THE UNPRECEDENTED FBI SEARCH. THAT IS A SEARCH OF FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MAR-A-LAGO RESIDENTS.
THE TOP REPUBLICAN MEMBER AND HOUSE INTEL TWEETED THIS AS THE
LEAD REPUBLICAN ON HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON
INTEL. I AM DEMANDING AN IMMEDIATE
BRIEFING BY FBI DIRECTOR WRAY REGARDING THE NATIONAL SECURITY
RISK THAT ALLEGEDLY ROSE TO THE LEVEL OF ORDERING A RAISE ON
THE PRESIDENT OF A FORMER PRESIDENT.
>> THIS IS FROM THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE MINORITY LEADER, HE
TWEETS AT ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND TO, QUOTE,
PRESERVE YOUR DOCUMENTS AND CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR.
JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS ALL OF THIS IS CNN ANCHOR AND
SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST JOHN AVLON.
THE JOHN ANALYSIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING. I WANT TO GO TO YOU FIRST, WE
LEARNED ABOUT THIS NOT FROM THE DOJ, NOT FROM THE FBI, BUT FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP HIMSELF. HE WAS NOT NECESSARILY
CONFIRMING THIS. HE WAS BLASTING IT OUT THERE.
HE APPEARS TO SEE THIS AS BENEFICIAL.
HOW DOES HE THINK THIS IS GOING TO HELP HIM?
>> IT APPEARS AS THOUGH HE COULD TURN OUT TO BE A MARTYR
AND THE SITUATION. YOU KNOW ME, I AM USUALLY AN
APOLOGIST FOR TRUMP BUT I AM A REPUBLICAN.
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES IS THEIR OUTRAGE
AT THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. WE UNDERSTAND THE DOJ HAS
INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BERTHOLD.
BUT, IT IS REALLY HARD TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AS
ANYTHING SHORT OF AN OVERREACH BY THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, AND
POTENTIAL POLITICAL PERSECUTION.
MANY ARE SAYING, I HAVE TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS UP AND DOWN
THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. DOING THIS TO SUCH MAGNITUDE,
SUCH A SEARCH TO THIS EXTREME. ANYTHING SHORT OF FINDING THE
NUCLEAR CODES AT MAR-A-LAGO IS GOING TO HUGELY BACKFIRE ON THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. DONALD TRUMP, AS HE HAS SAID
AND MANY HAVE INDICATED HAS REPLIED TO SOME DEGREE WITH THE
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES. BUT, UNTIL WE FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT WHY THEY WENT TO THIS EXTREME, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
OUTRAGED. I'M HEARING PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER
TRUMP AND MANY TO MOVE ON. NOW THEY ARE GALVANIZED BEHIND
HIM AND SHOWING SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY FEEL HE IS BEING SINGLED
OUT BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. >> SO, JOHN, TO ALICE'S POINT,
LEGALLY THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS AT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT. YOU PRESENT AN AFFIDAVIT TO A
JUDGE. YOU SAY HERE ARE THE SPECIFIC
RAISINS WHY WE THINK THERE IS PROBABLE CAUSE THAT A FEDERAL
CRIME WAS COMMITTED. YOU DO NOT RELEASE THAT.
THAT AFFIDAVIT IS UNDER SEAL. IF UNTIL CHARGES ARE BROUGHT.
THAT IS HOW IT ALWAYS WORKS >> THAT IS RIGHT, THAT IS WHY THE
IDEA THAT THIS WAS SOMEHOW DONE IN SECRET DOES NOT LINE UP WITH
WHAT AN IMPARTIAL JUST INQUIRY BY A JUSTICE WOULD ENTAIL.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH.
I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR ALICE BUT I AM NOT BUYING THIS
IDEA THAT TRUMP PLAYING SIMULTANEOUSLY VICTIM AND
AGGRESSOR CONSTANTLY. BUT THIS IS SOMEHOW A
PERSECUTION. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN
AMERICAN HISTORY. LET'S BE CLEAR, THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, UNDER MERRICK GARLAND HAS BEEN PROCEEDING IN
A WAY TO DE POLITICIZE ITS WORK.
AND, WE WILL FIND OUT DETAILS, IT IS APPRECIATE.
WE SHOULD ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
>> APPOINTED BY TRUMP, BY THE WAY.
>> IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, JUST A SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN.
THIS APPEARS TO BE A NONPARTISAN PROCESS.
IT APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT.
I DO NOT THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT TYPICALLY THE FBI WOULD
ASK FOR SEARCHING A FORMER PRESIDENTS RESIDENCE IF IT WAS
SIMPLY UNDER THE CATEGORY OF A MISDEMEANOR LET'S WAIT FOR ALL
OF THE FACTS THAT COME IN BUT LET'S ENCOURAGE MY REPUBLICAN
FRIENDS TO THINK CONSISTENTLY ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW.
SOMETHING THAT PARTY ALWAYS HELD UP.
NOT TO RUSH THE PARTISAN RAMPARTS AND COMPARING THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO A MARXIST DICTATORSHIP, AS MARCO RUBIO
DID, RECENTLY.