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Newly released documents reveal that during Joe Biden's presidency, the FBI monitored former First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron’s travel as part of Jack Smith’s investigation into classified document handling at Mar-a-Lago. The bureau also tapped the phone of Susie Wiles, who was then heading Trump’s political operation in Palm Beach. This surveillance was codenamed 'Plasmic Echo' and included tracking the family's movements to prepare for a raid on August 8, 2022. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis criticized this as an abuse of government power.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In a newly declassified document from 2022, the Biden-era FBI tracked Melania and her teenage son Barron Trump's travel movements as part of an investigation codenamed "Plasmic Echo." This probe also monitored phone calls involving Susie Wiles, who later became White House Chief of Staff, focusing on communications with defense lawyers, campaign advisers, and journalists. The surveillance was part of the broader inquiry into whether former President Donald Trump had illegally stored classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving office. The FBI conducted a search of Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022, following this extensive investigation.
Written for “Trump Family Surveillance Documents” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 58676: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-10-05
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Former President Joe Biden's FBI monitored Melania and Barron Trump's travel and tapped Donald Trump's future right-hand-woman's phone, according to newly released documents.
uncertain
FBI → sign → documents
The cache of personal information was part of former Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into whether Trump illegally withheld classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence after concluding his presidential first term.
asserted
Trump → withhold → term
While investigating the president, Smith's team traced the Trump family's movements while the FBI determined when to raid the president's home.
asserted
FBI → investigate → home
Eventually, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022.
asserted
FBI → raid → August
That year, in the aftermath of the raid, the FBI began wiretapping the phone of future White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
asserted
FBI → begin → Wiles
At that time, Wiles was the head of Trump's political operation being run out of Palm Beach.
asserted
Wiles → run → Beach
The FBI's secret surveillance probe into the family and close associates of Trump was called 'Plasmic Echo,' according to the recently released files.
uncertain
probe → call → files
The files, released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, included an email exchange between FBI agents in May 2022 regarding surveillance of the Trump family, including Melania and Barron.
uncertain
files → release → Melania
'Finalize FBI understanding of FPOTUS/FLOTUS/minor son’s travel (type of aircraft and specific timeline),' wrote one agent whose identity was redacted.
asserted
identity → finalize → aircraft
First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron Trump had their movements tracked by the FBI under former President Joe Biden as the agency prepared to raid their family home in 2022
The White House released documents today about the Biden administration's operation 'Plasmic Echo' which involved the Trump family
'
asserted
which → have → family
Spying on political opponents is weaponization of law enforcement, plain and simple,' White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement.
asserted
Bis → spy → statement
'Those responsible must be held accountable.'
asserted
Those → hold → ?
The classified documents case was eventually thrown out after a judge found that Smith was unlawfully appointed to become special counsel by Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland.
asserted
Smith → throw → General
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly advised Garland to sign off on the wiretaps.
uncertain
Wray → advise → wiretaps
In a May 2022 memo to Garland, the former FBI boss wrote that the probe could include top Trumpworld officials, and “could potentially be disruptive to the democratic process if publicly disclosed prior to an election.
uncertain
probe → write → election
'
'Merrick, I recommend you approve,' Wray, who served under Trump during the Republican's first term, wrote.
asserted
who → recommend → term
The released files also show numerous FBI-recorded call logs they got from Wiles' phone.
asserted
they → release → phone
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee recently sued Smith for accessing her phone records around the time of the 2020 election.
asserted
Blackburn → sue → election
Blackburn and various other GOP lawmakers have accused Smith of unlawfully accessing their phone records during his search for evidence that the president subverted the 2020 election.
asserted
president → accuse → election
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