Biden wasn't briefed about the Mar-a-Lago raid, WH spokesperson says
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President Biden was not briefed on Monday night's raid on Mar-a-Lago before it happened, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.
In response to questions from reporters, Jean-Pierre said that the "Justice department conducts investigations independently," that Biden believes "that those investigations should be free from political influence," and that the president "learned about" the raid "from public reports" just like everyone else.
Reporter: "Are you concerned at all about how it looks for the Justice Dept. to be ... raiding the home of the former president?"
Jean-Pierre: "The WH learned about this...from public reports...the Justice Dept. conducts its investigations independently.pic.twitter.com/t5mQpBHmKy— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) August 9, 2022
NEW: White House Press Secretary says President Biden was not briefed about the FBI search at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property and was not given any notice beforehand. She says DOJ investigations are independent.
— Samantha Manning (@SamManningNews) August 9, 2022
Karine Jean-Pierre refuses to comment on any aspect of the FBI raid on Mar-A-Lago, repeating that Joe Biden learned about it in the media "just like the American people"
"I don't have anything to share."— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) August 9, 2022
She also had a tense exchange with Fox News' Peter Doocy. "Is there a concern here that — if you guys don't say more — that these Republicans, who are accusing this White House of weaponizing the Justice Department and weaponizing the FBI, are — that that's going to become the public sentiment if you guys don't say, once and for all, 'We are not doing that'?" he asked.
"First of all, we're just not going to comment on the Department of Justice investigation," Jean-Pierre responded.
Doocy pressed further, asking, "Is this White House weaponizing the Justice Department and the FBI against political opponents?" In response, Jean-Pierre referred Doocy to Biden's remarks on Jan. 7, 2021, when the president-elect called for an independent, apolitical Justice Department, loyal "not to me" but "to the law."
DOOCY: “Is this White House weaponizing the Justice Department and the FBI against political opponents?”
Karine Jean-Pierre dodges and REFUSES to say no pic.twitter.com/3UtjNfTgNO— Benny Johnson 🍊 (@bennyjohnson) August 9, 2022
The FBI executed a search warrant at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday evening. "Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before," Trump said, adding that "such an assault could only take place in broken, Third World countries."
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