Former President Donald J. Trump has made a shocking accusation against the Biden administration, claiming that they were prepared to kill him during a 2022 search for classified documents at his private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump made this false claim in a fundraising email, stating that President Biden was “locked & loaded” and ready to take him out.
However, this claim is misleading and based on a misrepresentation of a standard Justice Department policy on the use of deadly force. The document Trump referred to in his email was part of a court filing in the criminal case regarding his handling of classified materials. It included a standard statement from the Justice Department’s policy on the use of deadly force, which is a standard protocol for all F.B.I. operations.
The policy states that deadly force is only allowed when necessary, such as when there is a reasonable belief that the subject poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to an officer or another person. It is not permissible to prevent a person from fleeing or to stop someone who poses a threat only to themselves or property.
The F.B.I. followed standard protocol in the search at Mar-a-Lago, and there was no departure from the norm. The search was conducted when Trump was out of town, and the club was closed. The F.B.I. had communicated with the Secret Service beforehand to ensure a smooth operation without a show of force.
Despite the facts, Trump and his legal team continue to misrepresent the policy and claim that the F.B.I. was authorized to use deadly force against him. The F.B.I. has clarified that the language in the document was a reiteration of department policy limiting force and that no additional steps were taken during the search.
This accusation has sparked controversy and raised questions about the former president’s claims. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold as more details emerge.
