The US Department of Justice today asked a judge to make public the warrant that authorized the FBI to search Donald Trump's Florida home, after the former president characterized the search as an act of political revenge.

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed for the first time that agents searched the former US president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The search is part of an investigation into whether he illegally obtained records from the White House while he was away.

Garland, the state's top law enforcement official, said he personally approved the decision to order the search.

The confirmation was highly unusual, as US law enforcement agencies typically do not discuss ongoing investigations.

But it came after Trump himself commented on the search on Monday night, saying it was an act of political vendetta against President Joe Biden.

Garland said the Justice Department asked the court to issue the sealed search warrant "in light of the former president's public confirmation of the raid, the surrounding circumstances and the significant public interest in this matter."

It was not clear whether Trump's legal team would challenge the order, which could shed light on the nature of the investigation.

/Telegraph/