Top Senate Republicans begin to weigh in on Trump FBI raid, after slower response than House counterparts
The FBI raided Trump's estate Monday in connection with a probe about classified documents he allegedly took from the White House
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top Senate Republicans are demanding that the FBI immediately release information about its raid of former President Trump's Florida estate, which they are calling a major law enforcement escalation against a former president.
The statements, from GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Vice Conference Chair Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Rick Scott, R-Fla., come as top Senate Republicans overall have been slower to comment on the raid than their counterparts in House GOP leadership.
"Raiding a former president’s home is unprecedented," Barrasso tweeted Tuesday morning. "The Justice Department needs to quickly and transparently tell the American people who approved this raid and why it occurred."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Trump's Florida home was searched by the FBI on Monday, in a major law enforcement escalation against a former president. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
TRUMP SAYS MAR-A-LAGO HOME IN FLORIDA ‘UNDER SIEGE’ BY FBI AGENTS
"A totally unprecedented action by the DOJ and FBI — the same agencies who labeled parents domestic terrorists and sat on the sidelines while Justices were threatened and churches were vandalized," Ernst tweeted. "The American people deserve answers. now."
"The [FBI’s] raid of Mar-a-Lago is incredibly concerning, especially given the Biden admin’s history of going after parents & other political opponents," Scott said in a Monday tweet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is 3rd World country stuff. We need answers NOW. The FBI must explain what they were doing today & why," he continued. Scott was the only member of Senate GOP leadership to mention the raid Monday, the day it happened.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune issued a statement later Tuesday. He said, "The FBI needs to provide answers as to why they raided the home of a former American president. Complete transparency is the only way to dispel the American people’s worst suspicions about the agency’s motives."
Thune added: "Like every other American, I await their timely explanation. Delay is not an option."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Policy Chair Roy Blunt, R-Mo., had not commented as of Tuesday afternoon. Their offices did not immediately provide comment in response to requests from Fox News Digital.
House Republicans have been much more aggressive in their responses, with their top two members in the chamber commenting Monday night.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., called the raid "brazen weaponization of the FBI." Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., promised the GOP will "conduct immediate oversight" of the Justice Department if Republicans take over the chamber.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attacked the GOP reaction to the Trump raid during an appearance on MSNBC Monday, saying many Republicans have "little respect for rule of law." However, Schumer did not address the FBI raid directly, and host Rachel Maddow mentioned that Schumer did not want to speak of the substance of the raid.
A spokesperson for Schumer said the majority leader does not currently have further comment on the raid. Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also has not yet commented on the substance of the Trump raid.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Senate Democratic aide told Fox News Digital top Democrats in the chamber are waiting for more information to come in on the raid before making significant comments or taking major actions in response to it.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday she does not have any insider information, but expects that authorities must have had "justification" for the raid.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump announced on Monday that his palatial Florida residence had been raided. Sources told Fox News Digital the search was in connection with materials that Trump took with him from his time as president. Sources also said National Archives and Records Administration referred the case to the Justice Department, which recovered 15 boxes of classified materials from the home.
A source familiar told Fox News that the raid occurred early Monday morning. The source said agents brought a "safe cracker" and cracked a "relatively new" safe in Mar-a-Lago. The source told Fox News there was "nothing in it."
Fox News' Brooke Singman, Stephanie Pagones and David Spunt contributed to this report.