Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the FBI search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was "hard to justify" for Republicans because of its unprecedented nature.
Why it matters: Trump and Republicans have broadly painted the search as an example of government overreach, and some have moved to portray it as President Biden trying to damage his potential 2024 opponent.
What he's saying: The FBI's move to search Mar-a-Lago was "automatically political," Crenshaw said.
- "This is a very unprecedented measure. You know we're going after an ex-president who may run again. ... You cannot separate the legal aspects of this from the political aspects of it. You can't. And it doesn't seem to me like they've acted responsibly as a result of that."
- "Why take it to extreme extent? I think that's why you're seeing so much backlash from Republicans. You're seeing everyone coalesce. It doesn't matter what side of the issue they're on with Trump. We've seen a lot coalesce around this one because it does seem unjust. ..."
- Crenshaw added he hasn't seen "any evidence" that Trump was asked by the DOJ to give the documents back. "So why take it to this extreme extent?" the Texas congressman asked.
Crenshaw lamented what he described as "a long history of loss of credibility at the Department of Justice[.]"
Worth noting: The Texas lawmaker criticized his fellow Republicans who have called to defund the FBI in the wake of the search, but added that it's "not where 99% of Republicans are at."
- "[I]t makes us seem like extremist Democrats. So Marjorie [Taylor Greene] and [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] can defund the club if they want. Ninety-nine percent of Republicans are not on that train," Crenshaw said.
- "What we want is accountability. We want transparency, and the criticisms we're leveling against the FBI and DOJ are fully warranted. It's not those criticisms that lead to a crazy person attacking an FBI. It's completely wrong. That's completely wrong."
What's new: Trump is considering filing a motion that calls for a "special master" to review the evidence seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago, his attorney said on Friday.
Go deeper: What we know — and don't know — about Trump and the FBI
