FBI fires agents who worked on Trump classified document probe

Trump to speak live from Mar-a-Lago following arraignment in New York

Former President Donald Trump is expected to return to his residence in Mar-a-Lago following his arraignment and speak to members of the media. Ashley Webster with FOX Business joined LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow from Palm Beach, Florida with the latest.

WASHINGTON - The FBI fired additional agents who worked on the investigation into President Donald Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, sources told The Associated Press.

Big picture view:

The firings are part of a broader personnel purge under the leadership of Director Kash Patel, a Trump appointee who, over the last year, has pushed out dozens of employees who either contributed to investigations of the president or who were perceived as not in alignment with the administration’s agenda. The Justice Department has engaged in similarly sweeping firings of prosecutors since Trump took office last year.

The other side:

The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings as unlawful and endangering national security.

"These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau’s ability to meet its recruitment goals — ultimately putting the nation at greater risk," the association said in a statement.

FILE - In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, stacks of boxes can be observed in a bathroom and shower in The Mar-a-Lago Club’s Lake Room at former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. (Ph

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Trump hoarding classified documents

The backstory:

In August 2022, the FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and found top-secret records from his first term.

The search and seizure  resulted in a federal prosecution charging the now-president with hoarding these classified records and obstructing government efforts to get them back.

The case was later abandoned by special counsel Jack Smith after Trump won the White House in November 2024 because of longstanding Justice Department legal opinions that say sitting presidents cannot be indicted.