President Joe Biden was referred to as an “enemy of the state” by Donald Trump at his first rally following the FBI’s raid of his Florida estate for secret documents.
The former president charged Mr. Biden with using the FBI against him in front of thousands of fans in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
According to Mr. Trump, the raid was “one of the most horrific abuses of authority by any administration in American history.”
He was there to support two Republicans running for office.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a candidate for the US Senate, and state senator Doug Mastriano is vying to be the next governor of Pennsylvania.
As usual, both speakers spoke relatively briefly because the gathering on Saturday night actually solely focused on the main attraction.
In the first hour and a half of his almost two-hour speech, Mr. Trump, 76, criticized the FBI search from earlier in the month.
Numerous empty folders labeled “classified” were discovered by FBI searchers, and top secret files were also recovered from his office.
Mr. Trump, who is under investigation for handling secret documents, says he did nothing wrong.
Aside from the raid, the former president’s remarks at the Pennsylvania event centered on tried-and-true arguments that the 2020 election was rigged against him, attacks on Democratic Party opponents, and pledges to “rescue our country.”
He advocated several times for the death sentence to be applied to narcotics dealers.
Here are the four most important details regarding Donald Trump’s event.
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Getting back at the Justice Department (DoJ)
A legal dispute between the former president and federal authorities is ongoing around a collection of secret documents that the FBI seized last month.
The Mar-a-Lago club in Florida is where Mr. Trump is said to have inappropriately taken and retained White House documents, including some designated “top secret.”
He may have impeded the investigation into his possession of the materials, according to federal authorities.
In the past, Mr. Trump has characterized inquiries into and criticism of him as “witch hunts,” and this time was no different.
He launched his attack by referring to the FBI’s investigation as “the travesty” of “the horrible raid and break-in on my home in Mar-a-Lago.”
By portraying himself and his supporters as political outcasts and targets of persecution, the former president has long gained popularity.
Trump claimed that his followers’ political angst was related to his own legal issues, saying “We are being assaulted… by the FBI and DOJ.”
“Not just my house was searched… I have been battling for every citizen’s goals and dreams ever since I descended the golden escalator in 2015, hoping to represent the people “He stated, prompting jeers from the audience.
In Pa., Trump lashes out at Biden and the FBI.
Makes few mentions of Oz, Mastriano:https://t.co/fbk0h4KRTX
— Jonathan Tamari (@JonathanTamari) September 4, 2022
Trump’s supporters believe he was “set up”
When it came to the FBI’s investigation, the crowd was on his side.
Even while Pennsylvania as a whole voted for Mr. Biden, this region backed Mr. Trump in the 2020 election.
To wear to the demonstration, two supporters had already purchased “Defund the FBI” T-shirts.
Gail McCloskey, whose hometown is Altoona, which is over three hours away by car, told the BBC that she believed the FBI visit was “a setup.”
The 60-year-old Kelly Borgogelli, who traveled four hours to see Mr. Trump from Buffalo, New York, said: “They’re just going after him for pure hatred.”
When asked if she believed any of the numerous allegations made against Mr. Trump over the years, including that he unlawfully forced the president of Ukraine to look into his political rivals and that he fabricated claims of election fraud in 2020, Mrs. Borgogelli responded that she did not.
They have never provided us with any evidence, she claimed.
If the justice department ever filed charges against Mr. Trump, according to her companion Maureen Ewart, 62, the nation would be “split.”
The streets will be packed, Ms. Ewart said, stressing that she did not support violence but was concerned that any criminal charges brought against the former president might lead to turmoil.
At one point, Mr. Trump himself asserted that the nation had never previously experienced a backlash of this magnitude due to the most recent probe into his possession of federal papers.
His trip to Pennsylvania was a calculated move.
Although Mr. Trump’s name won’t be on the Pennsylvania ballot this year, Trumpism will.
After Mr. Mastriano’s unexpected primary victory, he hand-selected the far-right election conspiracy theorist, Mr. Oz, for the US Senate and endorsed him for governor.
Their success in the general election in November will be viewed as a test of the legitimacy of Mr. Trump’s endorsement and the political philosophies he has injected into the Republican Party.
The result might have consequences in 2024.
Although Mr. Trump has not declared a new presidential bid, he has left the door open.
The Republican Party will interpret Mr. Trump’s candidates’ winning as evidence of his sustained domination of their base voters if they do well.
However, if they fall short, it might give Mr. Trump’s possible opponents in 2024 hope that they might still have a chance to win the presidency.
The crowd at the rally was much more enthusiastic about Mr. Mastriano, a candidate who was more precisely modeled after the former president.
When Mr. Mastriano was introduced on stage, the audience cheered. But after the event had gone on for nearly an hour, Dr. Oz was invited to take the stage with Mr. Trump.
A member of the audience shouted, “he’s a Rino!” or “Republican in name only” after the celebrity doctor finished speaking. This was an attack on Dr. Oz for not being sufficiently conservative. The celebrity doctor spoke for less than two minutes.
Read More:
- In Document Investigation, The Fbi Executes A Search Warrant At Trump’s Mar-a-lago Estate
- According to the U.S. Justice Department, Trump’s documents contained information on intelligence.
Both sides focus on Pennsylvania
Democrats’ chances also depend on the state. By helping Lt. Gov. John Fetterman win, they hope to gain a US Senate seat.
Since Mr. Mastriano easily defeated all challengers in the Republican primary, the governor’s race has gained more relevance. He participated in the assault on the US Congress on January 6, 2021, and he was instrumental in Pennsylvania’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
He would have a lot of influence on how the state’s elections were conducted if he were elected governor.
Democrats have nominated Josh Shapiro, the state’s attorney general, to run against him, and President Biden recently held a number of high-profile rallies in the state to energize the party’s support.
In fact, he also traveled to Wilkes-Barre on August 30 to deliver a significant lecture regarding firearms and public safety, and just two days ago, he spoke in Philadelphia during prime time.
Invoking the well-known campaign slogan of his predecessor, he claimed that Trump’s philosophy, which he dubbed “Maga Republicans,” harmed American democracy.
Not all Republicans—or even the bulk of them—are Maga Republicans, according to Mr. Biden.
However, it is undeniable that Donald Trump and the Maga Republicans control, inspire, and frighten the Republican Party today, which poses a threat to the nation.
The most “vicious, bigoted, and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president,” according to Mr. Trump, was Mr. Biden’s speech on Saturday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzKMx73b14
