Donald Trump cried foul on Monday after FBI agents searched his residence at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, while his fellow Republicans have rushed to defend him as a victim of judicial persecution.

The execution of a search warrant at the former president’s home has highlighted the extent of the legal troubles that have engulfed Trump since he left office in January 2021, casting a cloud over his ambitions to run again for the White House in 2024.

The raid on Trump’s residence was particularly significant because it signalled that federal prosecutors and the US justice department, led by Merrick Garland, and the FBI, led by Trump appointee Christopher Wray, have the former president squarely in their sights despite the controversy it has created.