A tweet former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders—now an Arkansas GOP gubernatorial candidate—wrote in 2016 about "attacking FBI agents" has resurfaced in the wake of former Republican President Donald Trump's announcement the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided his Mar-a-Lago estate and "even broke into my safe!"
At the time, Sanders wrote "you're losing" when "you're attacking FBI agents because you're under criminal investigation"—a tweet issued in response to the news federal agents obtained a warrant to begin reviewing some 650,000 emails discovered on a laptop used by Huma Abedin, a top aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
As Secretary of State, Clinton responded to the Arab Spring by advocating military intervention in Libya but was harshly criticized by Republicans for the failure to prevent the 2012 Benghazi attack. However embassy security staff was cut by Republicans prior to the attack.
Her use of a private email server when she was Secretary of State was the subject of intense scrutiny. The emails were retrieved, not deleted as Republican rhetoric claims.
No charges were filed against Clinton as it was deemed a procedural issue and not criminal. By contrast, members of the Trump administration were cited for using private servers, unsecured electronic devices and public apps for official White House communication.
You can read Sanders' 2016 tweet below.
\u201cWhen you're attacking FBI agents because you're under criminal investigation, you're losing https://t.co/SIoAxatCjp\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1478200354
The hypocrisy of Sanders' tweet was especially prescient given Trump's complaints about the raid.
Why the FBI raided Trump's home is still murky, though The New York Times reported the search was related to classified documents Trump brought with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.
Trump released an official statement to decry the search, which comes as the Department of Justice (DOJ) ramps up its investigation into Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, the day a White nationalist led mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol on the false premise the 2020 presidential election had been stolen.
It is worth noting no Republican members of Congress—elected on the same ballots they claimed were altered or interfered with to "steal" the election from Trump—refused to be sworn in because of election fraud or any of the other unfounded, disproven claims about the 2020 election.
Many criticized Sanders and pointed out her observation hasn't exactly aged like a fine wine.
\u201cThis didn't age well, did it?\u201d— Jay Barker \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Jay Barker \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660098638
\u201cThere\u2019s always a tweet with the MAGA crew but of course it\u2019s different this time, right? \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\u201d— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@The Jewish Ginger Resister) 1660045483
\u201cThis may be the only truthful thing Sarah ever said.\u201d— Just Jay - NO DM\u2019s (@Just Jay - NO DM\u2019s) 1660056497
\u201cI thought this was a recent tweet and she was trying to distance herself from her ex boss...but nope.\n\nIt's just a tweet that aged like fine milk \ud83e\udd23\u201d— Viced Rhino \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Viced Rhino \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660099043
\u201cWe need to remember this gem \n#MAGAmeltdown\u201d— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Rob Melrose \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Rob Melrose \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660103337
\u201cLike a fine cheese this aged\u2026\u201d— John DiMaggio (@John DiMaggio) 1660066589
\u201cAll the Republicans freaking out because the FBI raided Mar-a-Lardo should remember these sage words from none other than Sarah Sandwich:\u201d— I stand with Ukraine\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@I stand with Ukraine\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660019014
\u201cHow innocent and naive we all were.\u201d— Hans Mahncke (@Hans Mahncke) 1660019395
\u201cHa ha! Priceless!\nDoes she care to give a comment tonight?\n\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\ud83e\udd2d\u201d— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6Scott is Disgusted - F\u00b5ck Racism\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6Scott is Disgusted - F\u00b5ck Racism\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660019939
\u201cFame! I\u2019m gonna live forever, baby remember my name! #MarALagoRaid #TrumpRaid\u201d— All Out Of Fux \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@All Out Of Fux \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660058499
Trump has endorsed Sanders in her bid to be Governor of Arkansas—an office her Evangelical Christian minister father Mike Huckabee once held.
Earlier this year, there were reports that while in office, Trump regularly tore up documents and memos after reading them and even flushed some papers down the toilet.
Those reports were preceded by news that The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) had retrieved from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate White House record boxes containing important communication records, gifts, and letters from world leaders.
A source who spoke to The Washington Post said that the transfer to Mar-a-Lago was “out of the ordinary … NARA has never had that kind of volume transfer after the fact like this.”
The Washington Post noted that the recovery of materials has “raised new concerns” about adherence to the Presidential Records Act, legislation governing the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981, and mandating the preservation of all presidential records.
Trump’s advisers have denied that there was any “nefarious intent.” The National Archives declined to comment at the time but has since asked the DOJ to investigate Trump's handling of White House records.
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