The glaring difference between the FBI home searches of Biden and Trump

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is searching the home of President Joe Biden in Rehoboth, Delaware today as part of the investigation into Biden’s possession of classified documents. The execution of the search is a stark difference from when the bureau raided former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for similar reasons.

Biden’s Rehoboth home is the latest to be searched by the FBI after classified documents from his time as vice president under President Barack Obama were discovered at the Penn Biden Center in November. On January 20, the FBI searched Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and found other classified documents in various locations around the house, including inside Biden’s car in a garage. The searches come amid calls from Republicans to treat Biden and former President Donald Trump fairly.

However, there is a stark difference between raiding the homes of the two political powers.

In August, the FBI raided Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Law enforcement officials obtained a search warrant and executed the warrant to search Trump’s property, discovering classified documents in the home. The raid came after Trump voluntarily provided classified documents to the National Archives.

According to a statement from Biden’s personal attorney, Bob Bauer, the search of Biden’s home was consensual and the FBI did not obtain a search warrant.

CBS News White House Producer Arden Farhi tweeted about the search at Biden’s property on Wednesday morning. Farhi tweeted that the search was in conjunction with the discovery of classified documents in Biden’s possession.

“A third source familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the search was planned with Biden’s lawyers and consensual. No warrant has been sought for this search,” Farhi said. tweeted.

“Today, with the President’s full support and cooperation, the DOJ is conducting a planned search of his home in Rehoboth, Delaware,” Bauer said in the statement. “In accordance with standard DOJ procedures, in the interest of operational security and integrity, he sought to do this work without public notice, and we have agreed to cooperate. Today’s search is a step further in a thorough and timely DOJ process that we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have more information at the end of today’s research.”

The search comes shortly after other news that Mike Pence, a former vice president under Trump, also discovered classified documents at his home in Indiana.

Investigations have been launched into Trump and Biden over possession of classified documents. Pence’s papers are also under review.

Pence staff released a statement that Pence was willing to “cooperate fully” with the National Archives to return the documents. However, despite the agreement, a second letter from Pence’s office said the DOJ bypassed standard procedure and collected the documents directly from Pence’s home.

Many Republicans have argued that Biden should be treated the same as Trump. Biden is the only one of the three where classified documents were discovered at multiple properties.

Investigations are ongoing, but no criminal charges have been filed against Trump, Biden or Pence.

Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign and Biden’s office for comment.