Donald Trump lashed out at his political opponents in an angry speech at a New Jersey fundraiser just hours after he pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges.
In a speech that lasted just over half an hour on Tuesday night, he attacked a range of prominent public figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton, President Joe Biden and his family, and the prosecutor in the Miami legal case.
“Today, we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country,” he opened.
He claimed his indictment was “another attempt to rig and steal an election” that was “straight out of a fascist or communist nation”.
Trump is accused of unlawfully keeping classified security documents when he left office and lying to officials trying to recover them from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The documents related to nuclear programmes and other sensitive military secrets.
Some of the 37 charges come under the Espionage Act with prison sentences of up to 20 years.
He detailed some of his legal defense during the speech, claiming he had every right to keep the classified documents.
“They are threatening me with 400 years in prison for possessing my own presidential papers,” he claimed.
“Whatever documents the president decides to take with him, he has the right to do so – it is an absolute right.”
“They’ve got to drop this case immediately as it is destroying the country,” he said, adding that the case was a “sham”.
He touched on the classified documents previously found in Joe Biden’s possession and made other claims against his 2016 presidential rival Hillary Clinton.
“I’m the only one who followed the law,” he claimed.
“Joe Biden had no authority to declassify as vice president, I did as president. Nothing happens to crooked Joe.
“I did everything right and they indicted me.”
