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MAGA activists reacted with anger following the release of redacted documents related to a search warrant for Trump's account on Twitter, now called X, with many expressing concerns about free speech and privacy.
In January, special counsel Jack Smith sought to access the Republican's search history on X as well as drafted posts, blocks and mutes as part of his investigation into the events that led up to the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The warrant also requested a list of all devices used to log into the account and information on users interacting with Trump, heavily redacted court filings show.
"All information from the 'Connect' or 'Notifications' tab for the account, including all lists of Twitter users who have favorited or retweeted tweets posted by the account, as well as all tweets that include the username associated with the account (i.e. 'mentions' or 'replies')," the warrant states.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice via a website form for comment.
It is the inclusion of X users who interacted with the former president that has riled MAGA activists. Collin Rugg, the co-owner of the Trending Politics news website, called Smith an "enemy of the people."
Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, editor of The Federalist and a Fox News contributor wrote: "As part of his war on Trump, Jack Smith collected info on any American who retweeted or favorited Trump tweets. This is such a dystopic nightmare, as is the way it's calmly accepted by so much of the country."
Another X user said: "This is a huge breach on our privacy, this is no longer democracy but an authoritarian dictatorship."
"There is an all out assault on free speech and American rights and ideals," one person posted.
In August, Trump was indicted and charged with four counts as part of Smith's probe, accused of trying to overturn the result of the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges: conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing a congressional proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
The search warrant was among several documents released by the Justice Department on Monday as part of a lawsuit brought by media organizations calling to make aspects of Smith's investigation public for transparency reasons after it was revealed in August that Smith had sought the warrant in January.
X initially objected to the search warrant, citing the nondisclosure order which kept it secret, according to unsealed records. The company complied but was fined $350,000 for contempt of court after it missed a court-ordered deadline by three days. It appealed the fine, but the case was rejected by a U.S. appeals court last month.
In a Truth Social post in August, Trump reacted to news of the warrant, writing: "How dare lowlife prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, break into my former Twitter account without informing me and, indeed, trying to completely hide this atrocity from me. What could he possibly find out that is not already known."
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About the writer
Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more