Fact check roundup: What's true and what's false about the FBI's search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate

The FBI searched former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8 as part of a federal investigation into allegations that he took classified documents from the White House after leaving office in January 2021.

Trump promptly sued the Justice Department following the search, sparking an ongoing legal battle over the investigation and the documents recovered from the residence.

This also spurred an array of false and misleading claims related to the search, including assertions about the handling of classified records by past presidents, the judge who signed off on the search warrant and how the search came about.

Here's a roundup of related checks from the USA TODAY Fact-Check Team.

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Claims surrounding Trump, his family

Claim: In 2016, Trump said, "Anyone being investigated by the FBI is not qualified to be the President of the United States" on six different dates

Our rating: False

USA TODAY found no evidence that Trump made the claimed statement or a similar one on any of the dates listed in the post, according to a review of records and transcripts from campaign rallies, tweets and media appearances. Read more.

Claim: An image shows a fundraising email from Donald Trump with nuclear codes

Our rating: Altered

The original fundraising email sent after the Mar-a-Lago search contains different text than the purported email in the viral image. The real email did not contain nuclear codes. Read more.

Claim: Image shows Donald Trump with a double chin and deep wrinkles

Our rating: Altered

The image, which purported to show the first image of Trump after the FBI search, was digitally manipulated. The original photo was captured by an AP photographer and shows Trump without the extra fat and deep wrinkles on his face. Read more.

Claim: An image shows tweet from Donald Trump Jr. urging Trump supporters not to visit Mar-a-Lago

Our rating: Satire

There is no evidence Donald Trump Jr. sent this tweet. It was created as satire, as noted by text in the bottom right-hand corner of the supposed screenshot. Read more.

Claims about officials involved in the FBI's search and Trump's legal battle

Claim: Donald Trump appointed Bruce Reinhart as a magistrate judge in 2018

Our rating: False

Federal district judges in Florida's Southern District appointed Reinhart. Trump had no involvement. Read more.

Claim: Donald Trump revoked Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination when he became president

Our rating: False

Merrick Garland, now the attorney general, said he "personally approved" the decision to seek the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, spurring this false claim. But Trump had nothing to do with Garland's nomination, which expired in 2017 without any involvement from Trump. Republican senators said they would not consider Garland, former President Barack Obama's nominee, as they wanted the next president elected to office to pick a new justice. Read more.

Claim: Jeffrey Epstein’s former lawyer was the judge who signed off on the Mar-a-Lago search warrant

Our rating: False

Reinhart, who signed off on the FBI search warrant, was not a lawyer for convicted sex offender Epstein. He represented some of Epstein's associates, such as his pilot and his scheduler. Read more.

Claim: A call between the head of the FBI and Biden was leaked, proving that the FBI search was unlawful

Our rating: False

There is no evidence of a leaked call between President Joe Biden and FBI Director Christoper Wray. The Department of Justice makes independent decisions on whether to conduct criminal investigations. Legal experts also told USA TODAY the FBI search was conducted in a legal manner. Read more.

Claim: An image shows Bruce Reinhart with Ghislaine Maxwell

Our rating: Altered

The original image shows Maxwell rubbing Epstein's foot. A photo of Reinhart watching a football game was edited into the image in place of Epstein. Read more.

Claim: Video shows Ted Cruz confronting FBI director about Mar-a-Lago search

Our rating: False

The video does not show Cruz addressing the Mar-a-Lago search. Rather, it shows unrelated footage of the Republican senator that predates the FBI search. Read more.

Claim: District Judge Aileen Cannon was fired

Our rating: False

Legal experts told USA TODAY that the only way to remove a federal judge from office is through a congressional impeachment process. There's no evidence this process has taken place with Cannon, who has issued rulings favoring Trump in his ongoing legal battle with the federal government over the FBI search. Read more.

Claims about how presidents handled records

Claim: Obama took 33 million documents, many of which were classified, to Chicago

Our rating: False

The National Archives and Records Administration gained custody of Obama's documents in 2017 in accordance with the 1978 Presidential Records Act. The agency transferred 30 million unclassified records to a facility in Chicago and maintains other classified records related to Obama's presidency in a facility in the Washington, D.C., area. Read more.

Claim: The Obama Foundation stored classified documents in an abandoned warehouse

Our rating: False

The archives agency originally stored Obama's classified records in a facility that used to be an old furniture store. The Obama Foundation never managed these records. Read more.

Claim: George H. W. Bush took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and former Chinese restaurant

Our rating: False

The archives agency gained control of Bush's records in 1993 when he left office. It stored his records in a facility that was once a bowling alley and Chinese restaurant. Read more.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check roundup: False claims swirl after FBI's Mar-a-Lago search