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FBI agents took three passports belonging to former President Donald Trump during Mar-a-Lago’s raid. However, they realized that the passports were not needed. According to an email exchange, a Trump spokesperson said that they had taken steps to return them.
Spokesman Taylor Budowich criticized a CBS News journalist in a Twitter conversation late Monday for reporting that the Department of Justice didn’t have passports. He described it as a government media loop that harms his boss.
“This how Fake News operates, people. “Biden administration actively feeds half-truths and lies that media willingly amplifies — moving forward a partisan narrative against Trump,” wrote Mr. Budowich.
The dustup about Mr. Trump’s passports started Monday, when the ex-president posted to Truth Social that three agents had taken his passports including one expired.
After reports indicated that this was not true, Mr. Budowich sent an email to Jay Bratt from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (DoJ)’s National Security Division stating that agents had taken two passports and one diplomatic passport and were ready for pick up so they could return them.
CBS News reporter Norah Ol’Donnell initially reported that the government did not have passports. She retweeted an official statement by the Justice Department on Monday, which said that the FBI followed search and seizure orders from courts. The FBI then returns any items that aren’t needed for law enforcement purposes .”
