The official Twitter account of the Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee endured an online roasting after issuing a Twitter warning in the wake of former Republican President Donald Trump's announcement that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided his Mar-a-Lago estate and "even broke into my safe!"
People criticized the account, which is overseen by prominent Trump acolyte and Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan, for suggesting that if the FBI can execute a search warrant on "a former President, imagine what they can do to you."
You can see the tweet below.
\u201cIf they can do it to a former President, imagine what they can do to you.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1660002924
Why the FBI raided Trump's home is still murky, though The New York Timesreported the search was related to classified documents Trump brought with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.
Trump released an official statement to decry the search, which comes as the Department of Justice (DOJ) ramps up its investigation into Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, the day a White nationalist led mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol on the false premise the 2020 general election had been stolen.
Ultimately, most people were quick to call out Republicans for downplaying the significance of the event and for making excuses for Trump's decision to ignore the law and abscond with classified documents.
\u201cGood point. \nI'll be sure to not steal 15 boxes of classified docs from the National Archives so a judge can easily grant a warrant so they don't do it to me\u201d— John Fugelsang (@John Fugelsang) 1660074711
\u201cDear @JudiciaryGOP Break the law and this is what happens, or did you forget you are the law and order party?\u201d— Just a Guy \u262e\ufe0f (@Just a Guy \u262e\ufe0f) 1660079880
\u201cOh, I don't know. I don't tend to: flush classified documents down my toilet; bribe allies; conspire with adversaries; cheat my taxes; sexually-assault women; or stage a coup on our nation's Capitol to overturn a presidential election and destroy the republic.\n#TrumpRaid #Trump\u201d— Craig Rozniecki (@Craig Rozniecki) 1660065720
\u201cThey are doing to Trump what they do on a regular basis to us, which is enforcing the Law, Moron.\u201d— Gilles Robillard (@Gilles Robillard) 1660074817
\u201cSee, this is the new talking point, but it's backwards. They've always been doing it to us, and it has been the politicians who always had the free pass.\u201d— DarkMatter2525 (@DarkMatter2525) 1660075101
\u201cSince I didn't steal any classified documents or try to flush them down the toilets, I'm not worried. You guys should be, tho.\u201d— THEE #VeryAsian politicalcat #WomensRights #KHive (@THEE #VeryAsian politicalcat #WomensRights #KHive) 1660075225
\u201cImagine Joe Citizen worrying about being held responsible for removing classified documents from the White House.\u201d— Patrick Sheldon (@Patrick Sheldon) 1660077602
\u201cThe next time I take top secret documents, I\u2019ll remember you warned me.\u201d— James \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd1f\ud83c\udffc (@James \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd1f\ud83c\udffc) 1660077618
\u201cOh, so you suddenly hate the police and FBI when they're not on the side of a rich white man?\n\nCause they've been doing this to everyone ELSE basically forever. And usually those ones don't go as smoothly with the people being raided coming out unharmed.\u201d— Len \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f the raptor @ PCD (@Len \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f the raptor @ PCD) 1660077978
\u201cHow is this for irony! https://t.co/l2F1bD88u2\u201d— Annabella New York (@Annabella New York) 1660078066
Earlier this year, there were reports that while in office, Trump regularly tore up documents and memos after reading them and even flushed some papers down the toilet.
Those reports were preceded by news that The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) had retrieved from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate White House record boxes containing important communication records, gifts, and letters from world leaders.
A source who spoke to The Washington Post said that the transfer to Mar-a-Lago was “out of the ordinary … NARA has never had that kind of volume transfer after the fact like this.”
The Washington Post noted that the recovery of materials has “raised new concerns” about adherence to the Presidential Records Act, legislation governing the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981, and mandating the preservation of all presidential records.
Trump’s advisers have denied that there was any “nefarious intent.” The National Archives declined to comment at the time but has since asked the DOJ to investigate Trump's handling of White House records.