Heading into the fourth week of his trial in New York, Donald Trump sharply intensified his attacks on the justice system this weekend, telling donors at a private event in Florida that President Joe Biden "runs the Gestapo.”
His comments come just days after the former president was found in contempt of court in New York for violating a judge's silence order, and as ongoing proceedings in the case confined him to four days per week in a New York courtroom.
In this trial – and facing dozens of criminal charges in four separate cases – Trump increasingly presents himself as a victim of the justice system.
"These people are running the Gestapo, and that's the only thing they have, and that's the only way they're going to win," Trump said during a nearly 90-minute speech at a resort complex. donors in Palm Beach on Saturday. Referring to the secret police of Nazi Germany. “But I don’t mind.”
“If you worry too much, you tend to suffocate,” he said.
During his speech in Palm Beach, Trump widely criticized Democrats, talked about his golf game and noted that he was doing well in the polls. But he frequently returns to the criminal charges and, without presenting evidence, accuses the White House of orchestrating the prosecution against him.
“Until I was impeached, I respected the office of president,” said Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. “As soon as I was indicted, I said: 'OK, now you have to take the gloves off.'"
His remarks received loud applause from the audience. At one point, an audience member said, “Donald J. Trump is God’s chosen person. »
The former president also raised the federal case against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who was charged Friday by the Justice Department with accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities. Cuellar, a moderate Democrat whose district borders Mexico, has declared himself innocent of the charges against him.
“He was indicted for political reasons for things at the border,” Trump said of Cuellar. “What they did was arm the government into going after political opponents. »
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The donor meeting was hosted by the former president's campaign and at least 400 people were expected. Among the special guests listed were a few potential vice presidential contenders, including Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina and J.D. Vance of Ohio. Governments are also included. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, among others.
Toward the end of the evening, Trump called out some of his potential vice presidential nominees as well as several senators like Utah's Mike Lee, telling the crowd, "We have Marco, we have Tim, we have [Sen . Blackburn. » We have Vance.
Trump also brought on stage Rod Blagojevich, the controversial former Democratic governor of Illinois whose prison sentence for corruption was commuted by Trump.
Blagojevich, a self-described “Trump autocrat,” was invited by the campaign to the event and was surprised to be invited on stage, according to a spokesperson for the former governor. He has not spoken with Trump about any vice presidential candidate.
Campaign officials also told donors Saturday that Trump's political operation raised more than $76 million in April. These figures were announced to donors by campaign managers Susie Wells, Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio.
The Trump campaign is struggling to catch up with Biden on fundraising. At the end of April, Biden had more than double the amount of money the former president had.