Attorney general says 'personally approved' Trump home search

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed for the first time that agents had searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. The search is part of an investigation into whether he illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office.

Garland, the nation's top law enforcement official, said he had personally approved the decision to order the search.

His confirmation was highly unusual, since US law enforcement typically does not discuss ongoing investigations. But it came after Trump himself announced the search on Monday night, alleging that it was an act of political retribution by Democratic President Joe Biden.

Garland said the Justice Department had asked a court to publish a sealed search warrant "in light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter."

It was not clear whether Trump's legal team would object to the release of the warrant, which could shed light on the nature of the investigation.