Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Thursday that he had approved the search at Mar-a-Lago, and he implied that the Department of Justice (DOJ) wouldn’t have done so without attempting less intrusive actions first.

Just ahead of Mr Garland’s statement, an individual in the former president’s inner circle contacted a DOJ official to send a message from Mr Trump to Mr Garland, The New York Times reported.

The former president wanted the attorney general to be aware that people around the US were furious about the raid.

“The country is on fire,” Mr Trump is quoted as saying, according to the individual with knowledge of the message, according to The Times. “What can I do to reduce the heat?”