The FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago last week appears to have backfired on the left, as former President Donald Trump has seen his poll numbers skyrocket in the wake of it. This comes at the expense of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who many see as Trump’s key rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
A new Politico/Morning Consult poll [1] revealed that Trump’s approval rating among Republican primary voters went up from 53 percent in mid-July to 57 percent on August 10. Meanwhile, DeSantis saw a six point dip between these two polls, going from 23 percent to 17 percent in that time period.
These numbers give Trump a 10 point boost, and an overall 40-point lead in a hypothetical primary. It should be noted that neither man has confirmed whether or not he plans to run in 2024.
This poll was conducted last Wednesday, days after the FBI raided Trump’s Florida estate Mar-a-Lago. The FBI’s warrant revealed that agents least 11 sets of classified documents from the estate, and that the Justice Department had probable cause to conduct the search, citing possible Espionage Act violations.
Trump fired back last night by slamming the raid as “an abuse in law enforcement” never before seen in America, and a “sneak attack of democracy.”
“For the FBI to RAID the home of the 45 President of the United States, or any President for that matter, is totally unheard of an unthinkable,” Trump said, according to Daily Mail [2]. “This Break In was a sneak attack on democracy (our Republic!), and was both unannounced and done at a time when the President was not even present.”
“It was for political, not legal reasons, and our entire Country is angry, hurt, and greatly embarrassed by it,” he added. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump has also called on the FBI auto return any attorney-client material that they seized from Mar-a-Lago.
“Oh great!” Trump said. “It has just been learned that the FBI, in its now famous raid of Mar-a-Lago, took boxes of privileged ‘attorney-client’ material, and also ‘executive’ privileged material, which they knowingly should not have taken.”
“By copy of this TRUTH,” he continued. “I respectfully request that these documents be immediately returned to the location from which they were taken. Thank you!”
While Trump has said that he’s made a decision on whether or not he’ll run for president again in 2024, he has yet to reveal it publicly, and it’s not known at this time when he plans to do so.
“I think he’s running,” said Eric Levine, a lawyer and longtime Republican fundraiser. “The only question is whether he announces before the midterms, which would be a disaster.”
Just after the raid, Trump released a campaign-style video in which he described America as “a nation in decline” and blasted President Joe Biden before ending with the slogan: “The best is yet to come.”
“We will never, ever back down, we will never let you down,” Trump said, according to Real Clear Politics [3]. “As long as we are confident and united, the tyrants we are fighting do not stand even a little chance. Because we are Americans and Americans kneel to God and God alone, it is time to start talking about greatness for our country again.”