Donald Trump's Twitter gets hit with search warrant by special counsel

Washington DC - The special counsel that has twice indicted former President Donald Trump obtained a warrant earlier this year to search his Twitter account.

A court filing unsealed on Wednesday reveals that the special counsel investigating Donald Trump obtained a warrant to search his Twitter account.
A court filing unsealed on Wednesday reveals that the special counsel investigating Donald Trump obtained a warrant to search his Twitter account.  © Drew Angerer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP

According to a court filing that was unsealed on Wednesday, the special counsel, led by Jack Smith, obtained the warrant on January 17 seeking "data and records related" to the former president's account, @realDonaldTrump.

The counsel initially had an issue getting in contact with authorities at Twitter, which was purchased by Elon Musk only months earlier in October, and when they finally did, the platform was resistant to complying.

The warrant included a "nondisclosure order" which prohibited Twitter from alerting Trump of the warrant, with prosecutors arguing it "would seriously jeopardize the ongoing investigation" as it would allow Trump to "destroy evidence, change patterns of behavior, [or] notify confederates."

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The company took issue with the clause, arguing in court that it was a breach of the First Amendment.

"Although Twitter ultimately complied with the warrant, the company did not fully produce the requested information until three days after a court-ordered deadline," the filing states.

Twitter, now known as X, didn't comply until February 9, which resulted in the court in contempt and imposing a $350,000 sanction for its delay.

Donald Trump responds to special counsel's warrant

Donald Trump fired back on Truth Social after court filings confirmed the special counsel has been granted the warrant.
Donald Trump fired back on Truth Social after court filings confirmed the special counsel has been granted the warrant.  © Joseph Prezioso / AFP

It's unclear exactly what Smith and his team were looking for with the warrant, but Trump's Twitter account was once his primary platform of choice to share information with his base.

He also used the platform in the days leading up to the January 6 Capitol riots, calling on his base to storm the building in an attempt to "stop the steal." Shortly after the riots, Trump was banned from Twitter.

After the release of the filing on Wednesday, Trump shared a reaction on his Truth Social platform, calling it a "major hit" on his civil rights.

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"My political opponent is going CRAZY trying to infringe on my campaign for president," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. Does the first Amerndment still exist?"

Earlier this year, Musk reactivated Trump's account, but the former president has refused to return to the site.

Cover photo: Drew Angerer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP

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