'Gobs of evidence': Merrick Garland makes moves on Trump by requesting Mar-a-Lago warrant

In what some have called a “beautiful chess move,” Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday afternoon he has asked a federal judge to unseal the search warrant FBI agents used to enter Mar-a-Lago and confiscate possibly thousands of items including classified documents.

Let’s watch as Garland addressed the nation in his first public statement since FBI agents searched former President Donald Trump’s residence earlier this week.

Trump and his allies expressed outrage over the FBI’s Monday search, and have since claimed that agents planted evidence, a conspiracy theory that first appeared on social media but quickly made it to Fox News’ airwaves.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump continued to rage against the investigation while addressing the Justice Department's motion to unseal the search warrant.

"Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago," Trump said, "I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents."

A federal judge has given him until Friday at 3:00 p.m. eastern time to oppose the Department of Justice’s request to unseal the search warrant and property receipt.

The warrant will most likely list logistical information, such as the place to be searched, a general description of items to be searched for, the name of the judge, and a deadline by which the Justice Department has to execute the search.

The warrant may also have an attachment, which typically will cite the laws that the Justice Department has probable cause to believe were violated.

The second document is the inventory or the receipt of items seized. Many are cheering Attorney General Merrick Garland, who frequently has been the target of frustration on the left for appearing to not be acting expeditiously against Trump.

USA Today opinion columnist Michael J. Stern summed up Garland’s action commenting, “Merrick Garland to Trump: I’m going to let the world see the gobs of evidence we have that led to the search warrant…unless you object…in which case you will be signaling to the world that you have gobs to hide.”

Dr. Mary Trump, the former president’s niece, also chimed in Thursday evening saying, “Garland is playing chess. Donald can only play checkers. So, he’s being outmaneuvered. He’s also gotten tripped up. It never occurred to Donald that somebody who looks like Merrick Garland and talks like Merrick Garland is actually a ninja.”

Attorney General Garland is bound by long-standing policy not to comment on ongoing investigations. In contrast, Trump can essentially say anything he wants.