Hours after pleading not guilty in Miami to criminal charges stemming from his hoarding of secret government documents, former President Donald Trump delivered an angry, campaign-style speech at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.
Speaking at one of the very locations at the center of the federal case against him, Trump repeated his favorite talking points portraying himself as victim and President Biden and the government as “thugs.”
“It’s a political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation,” Trump said of charges he illegally took secret documents and refused to hand them back to authorities.
He also repeated a popular refrain from his time at the White House and since then — that the authorities are really going after Trump supporters.
“I am the only one that can save this nation because you know, they’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you, and I’m just standing in their way and I will never be moving.”
Set to turn 77 on Wednesday, the former president was met with cheers and applause as he arrived at his golf club, where the feds say they have him on tape divulging national defense secrets to guests.
During his rambling speech, he once again claimed he had “absolute” authority to take whichever documents he wanted after losing the 2020 presidential election.
He absconded with some 300 classified documents after exiting the White House in 2021, according to prosecutors.
On Tuesday afternoon, he pleaded not guilty to willfully retaining classified records in violation of the Espionage Act, obstructing law enforcement efforts to retrieve them and related charges.
During his evening speech, he tried to explain his conduct by saying he took boxes “containing all types of personal belongings.”
He repeatedly lashed out at Biden and the Justice Department, alleging he was the victim of a Democrat-led conspiracy.
Trump called Biden, who’s repeatedly said he’s kept out of the numerous Trump probes, “the most corrupt president in the history of our country.”
As for federal prosecutor Jack Smith, Trump resorted to typical name calling with slurs like “deranged” and “thug.”
Disgraced former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik was in attendance, along with longtime Trump advisers, swankily dressed donors and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell — who was recently ordered to pay $5 million to a man who disproved his 2020 election lies. Lindell said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump’s other Republican rivals should drop out and endorse him.
“Just get out of the race. It’s over,” he told reporters before Trump gave his speech. “People in this country want Donald Trump.”
As audience members wished Trump a happy birthday and broke out in song, he remarked, “Nice birthday, isn’t it?”
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