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Donald Trump vowed to "totally obliterate the deep state" and appoint a special prosecutor to target "the entire Biden crime family" if he wins the 2024 presidential election, just hours after the former president pled not guilty to 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
After being arrested and processed, Trump addressed supporters at the Trump National Golf Club on June 13, 2023 in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he described the action against him as "the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country."
Trump is the frontrunner to stand for the Republican Party at the 2024 presidential election, with polling indicating he has a solid lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his closest rival. The Bedminster remarks suggest Trump would use a second term to aggressively pursue those he believes have wronged him politically or legally.
Speaking in front of several American flags, Trump commented: "I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family. Name a special prosecutor. And all others involved with the destruction of our elections, our borders, and our country itself, they're destroying our country."
After Trump mentioned Biden, his supporters began chanting "lock him up," in an adaptation of the slogan they used against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The former president didn't go into any specifics about why he believes the Bidens are a "crime family," or present any evidence to support this statement. Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged" against him have been repeatedly rejected in court, and by independent political and legal experts.
In his address Trump also vowed to target "the deep state," though he didn't provide any details on who he believes this includes. He said: When I get re-elected, and we will get re-elected...I will totally obliterate the deep state ... and we know who they are, I know exactly who they are."
The Republican frontrunner concluded: "I'm the only one who can save this nation because you know they're not coming after me, they're coming after you and I just happen to be standing in their way and I will never be moving."
Trump vows that if he wins the presidency, he will appoint a special prosecutor to "go after Biden" and "the entire Biden crime family."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 14, 2023
"I will totally obliterate the deep state," Trump adds. "I am the only one who can save this nation." pic.twitter.com/khb1T4ya6x
A clip of these remarks taken from C-SPAN was posted on Twitter by Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist, where it received more than 450,000 views.
Newsweek has approached Trump and the White House for comment, via online press contact form and email respectively.
On Tuesday, Trump was charged alongside Walt Nauta, who is facing six federal counts which relate to allegedly concealing classified documents and attempting to obstruct justice. Nauta did not enter a plea on Tuesday.
Speaking to MSNBC, Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, warned Nauta that Trump will "throw you under the bus" if it suits his interests.
He commented: "Donald Trump will throw you under the bus, faster than you could possibly imagine.
"And he won't throw you under the bus simply just to save himself. He will just throw you under the bus, simply because he can. And because he thinks it will provide him with some form of benefit."
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more