AG Merrick Garland rips Trump's 'dangerous' lie the FBI wanted to assassinate him and clarifies agents were also authorized to use force when raiding Biden's home

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday addressed the fallout over former President Donald Trump's false claim that the FBI had clearance to assassinate him during the 2022 Mar-a-Lago raid. 

Garland was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee when asked by Democratic ranking member, Rep. Jerry Nadler, how Trump's wild allegations impacted those working at the Department of Justice. 

The attorney general answered that it 'raises the threat of violence against prosecutors and career agents.'

'This is dangerous,' Garland testified. 

'The allegation is false,' he continued. 'As the FBI has explained, the document that's being discussed is our standard use of force protocol, which is a limitation on the use of force, and which is routinely part of the package for search warrants and was part of the package for the search of President Biden's home as well.'

The assassination conspiracy theory arose after a court filing was unsealed in the classified documents case last month that said federal agents were prepared to use 'deadly force' when executing the August 8 search at Trump's Florida property.

In the former president's motion challenging the legality of the FBI's raid filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the filing notes an 'Operation Order' produced in discovery which contained a 'Policy Statement' regarding 'Use of Deadly Force.'

The filing says the Order states 'for example, "Law enforcement officers with the Department of Justice may use deadly force when necessary..."' 

It also says 'the agents planned to bring "Standard Issue Weapon[s]," "Ammo," "Handcuffs," and "medium and large sized bolt cutters," but they were instructed to wear "unmarked polo or collared shirts" and to keep "law enforcement equipment concealed."' 

Trump posted on Truth Social after leaving criminal court in New York he 'was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE.'

He also sent out a fundraising email with the subject line 'They were authorized to shoot me!'

In another Truth Social post, Trump floated that the FBI was ready to engage in a gun battle with his Secret Service detail.

The ex-president recalled how he gained Secret Service as he ran for the White House in 2016 against '"Beautiful" Hillary Clinton.' 

'Shockingly, however, Crooked Joe Biden's Department of Injustice authorized the use of "deadly force" in their Illegal, UnConstitutional, and Un-American RAID of Mar-a-Lago, and that would include against our Great Secret Service, who they thought might be "in the line of fire,"' Trump claimed. 

 'As I told Crooked Joe's DOJ, if they needed anything, "all they had to do was ask,"' the ex-president continued. 'They did not have to ILLEGALLY AND UNCONSTITUTIONALLY RAID my home, and rummage through my family's, including Barron's, private quarters.'

He then ended the Truth post by using all-caps: 'END THESE THIRD WORLD WITCH HUNTS, AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'