Trump accuses Biden of election interference, calls special counsel ‘thug’ on ‘political hit job’

A crowd cheered when former President Donald Trump arrived at a fundraiser on Tuesday at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey after his flight landed at Newark Liberty International Airport.

During his speech, the 45th president of the United States as the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination referred to the federal case against him as a “witch hunt” and accused President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection, of “election interference” and of “yet another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election.”

Related story: Video shows man dressed as convict run in front of Trump’s motorcade

Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges related to accusations that he mishandled classified documents at his clubs in New Jersey and Florida while blocking the federal government’s efforts to recover them.

Trump also said the federal case was “one of the most outrageous and vicious legal theories ever put forward in an American court of law” and referred to Special Counsel Jack Smith as a “thug” working on “political hit jobs.”

Related story: Trump makes history at Miami’s federal court

Trump also told the crowd that as president he had every right to go through the boxes, which he said that aside from classified documents, also included his personal records. He said he had not done anything other officials haven’t done.

“This day will go down in infamy,” Trump said about his arraignment hearing at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday in downtown Miami.

Related story: Law enforcement watches over courthouse protesters

The crowd also sang him “Happy Birthday” since he turns 77 on Wednesday.

“Some birthday, some birthday! We have got a government that is out of control,” Trump said.

Related story: Trump supporters pray over him at Versailles in Miami’s Little Havana, sing him ‘Happy Birthday’

The fundraiser at Bedminster included Attorney Kash Patel, the former chief of staff to the acting U.S. secretary of defense under Trump; Bernard Kerik, the 40th Commissioner of the New York Police Department; and Mike Lindell, better known as the My Pillow Guy.

“On Nov. 5, 2024, justice will be done,” Trump said.

COMPLETE COVERAGE

Reporting from courthouse

Report on security, protest

• Trump described Pentagon plan of attack, indictment says
• Key moments: Storing documents in a bathroom
• What to know about the case
• THE INDICTMENT

Monday

• Gimenez says Trump ‘is being targeted unfairly’
• Miami mayor warns about downtown traffic disruptions
• Biden is determined to say as little as possible about indictment
• Trump stays at Doral golf club ahead of court hearing
• Trump traveling to Florida as history-making court appearance approaches in classified docs case
• Federal, state, local law enforcement secure courthouse, perimeter in downtown

Sunday

• Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

Saturday

• Trump calls federal indictment ‘ridiculous’ and ‘baseless’ at Georgia Republican convention

Friday

• Will this hurt Trump’s standing with GOP voters?
• Trump case assigned to judge who faced criticism
• Investigations Trump has to worry about