- Former President Donald Trump emailed his supporters about the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home, asking for donations.
- Meanwhile, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast.
- More than 1 million residents in southwest Florida are experiencing blackouts.
As Hurricane Ian barreled toward the Gulf Coast, former President Donald Trump emailed his supporters about a very different situation in Florida — the FBI raid of his home, Mar-a-Lago.
"It has already been proven that so much has been wrongfully taken," Trump said in the email. "It was "ransacked" and in a far different condition than the way I left it. So sad!"
Mar-a-Lago, a sprawling 17-acre estate owned by Trump, is located in Palm Beach, Florida, and Trump is himself a Florida resident.
Trump, who is facing numerous points of legal peril, went on: "The 4th Amendment, and much more, has been totally violated, a grave invasion of privacy."
Ian, which is now an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm, has already left more than 1 million Floridians with no power. The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Ian was generating a "catastrophic storm surge" with "widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flash and urban flooding."
In the email, Trump asked his supporters to take a poll, titled, "Official Trump Election Year Poll." They are taken through a number of questions, from "Do you think the FBI raiding Mar-a-Lago was unconstitutional?" to "Do you believe Joe Biden is fit to run this Country?" until they are eventually asked to donate $25 or more to Trump.
Trump sent the email during the 1 p.m. hour Eastern Time as Hurricane Ian neared landfall.
Money raised from the email will benefit Save America JFC, a federal joint fundraising committee composed of Save America and Make America Great Again PAC — two of Trump's post-presidential political action committees.
Trump has openly flirted with running for president again in 2024, but he has not yet formally declared his candidacy.