The Glaring Difference Between Biden And Trump's FBI Home Searches

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched President Joe Biden's Rehoboth, Delaware, vacation home on Wednesday in conjunction with the investigation into Biden's possession of classified documents. The execution of the search has a glaring 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 then-President Barack Obama were discovered at the Penn Biden Center in November. On January 20, the FBI searched Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home and found more classified documents at various places around the house, including inside his garage. The searches come amid calls from Republicans to treat Biden and former President Donald Trump in a fair fashion.

However, there is a glaring difference between the search of the two political powerhouses' homes.

In August, the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Law enforcement officials secured a search warrant and executed the warrant to search Trump's property, discovering classified documents at the house. 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 house was consensual, and the FBI didn't secure a search warrant.

CBS News White House Producer Arden Farhi tweeted about the search at Biden's property 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 tells CBS News the search was planned with Biden's attorneys and consensual. No warrant was sought for this search," Farhi 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. "Under DOJ's standard procedures, in the interests of operational security and integrity, it sought to do this work without advance public notice, and we agreed to cooperate. The search today is a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have further information at the conclusion of today's search."

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

Investigations have been launched into Trump and Biden regarding the classified document possession. Pence's documents also are under review.

Pence's staff issued 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 in a similar fashion to Trump. Biden is the only one of the three where classified documents have been discovered in 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.