President Joe Biden called out Donald Trump for what he is – a “convicted felon” – in a fiery campaign speech, where he laid into his “clearly unhinged” Republican rival who “snapped” after losing the 2020 election.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s conviction on all charges in his New York hush money trial last week, the president offered only cautious comment on his political foe.
But on Monday evening, addressing a campaign event at the private residence of a wealthy Democratic donor couple in Greenwich, Connecticut, Biden didn’t hold back.
“Folks, the campaign entered uncharted territory last week,” he told his audience.
“For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency.”
“But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice.”
Biden warned of Trump’s “all-out assault” on the justice system in revenge for his criminal conviction, saying it is “reckless and dangerous” for Trump and his conservative allies to insist that the verdict was rigged “just because they don’t like the outcome”.
The president continued by outlining the high stakes at play in this year’s election.
“The threat that Trump poses would be greater in a second term than it was in his first term,” he said.
“This isn’t the same Trump who got elected in 2016. He’s worse. Something snapped in this guy for real when he lost in 2020. He can’t accept he lost and it is literally driving him crazy.”
Biden continued: “Now he’s running again. And he’s not only obsessed with losing in 2020, he is clearly unhinged. Just listen to him.
“He says he wants to be – in his words – ‘a dictator on day ne.’ He says he wants to – in his words – ‘terminate the Constitution.’ When asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost again he said ‘it depends.’
“He calls convicted insurrectionists who are in prison now ‘patriots.’ And, if re-elected, he wants to pardon ‘every one of them’. Trump says if he loses again in November there’ll be – in his words – a ‘bloodbath.’”
Biden warned: “My God what kind of man is this? In fact, just this weekend, he said his MAGA supporters would reach a ‘breaking point.’”
Biden’s comments came days after Trump made history as the first current or former US president convicted of a crime.
The former president was found guilty of 34 charges of the falsification of business records as part of a 2016 election conspiracy to stop negative stories from reaching voters.
Biden also attacked Trump for his record on abortion, gun control, the environment, his disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and his habitual disrespect for members of the armed forces.
He also roasted Trump over his notorious suggestion that Americans should inject disinfectant as a Covid cure at the height of the pandemic.
“He must’ve injected it into his brain,” the president jabbed.
Clearly fired up, Biden concluded by saying of Trump that he was “out selling Bibles and golden sneakers… selling his presidency to the highest bidder”.
“This guy does not deserve to be president, whether or not I’m running,” he said.