Former President Donald Trump warned a crowd during a speech following his arraignment on Tuesday that the “communists” going after him “will not hesitate to ramp up their persecution” of everyday Americans if they successfully put him in prison.
“We have a nation in serious decline. If the communists get away with this, it won’t stop with me,” Trump said.
“They will not hesitate to ramp up their persecution of Christians, pro-life activists, parents attending school board meetings, and even future Republican candidates — which they do. We must end it permanently, and we must end it immediately…The seal is broken by what they’ve done. They should have never have done this,” he continued.
Trump’s warning about increased persecution against Christians, pro-life activists, and parents attending school board meetings comes after President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught repeatedly framing these groups as “extremist,” dangerous, and even potential domestic terrorism threats (see here, here, and here).
Trump made the remarks during a speech in Bedminster, New Jersey, following his arraignment in Miami, where he faces 37 federal charges relating to allegations he mishandled classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump and the former president’s aid Walt Nauta last week.
Trump pleaded not guilty and promptly greeted his supporters after his court appearance. The former president also stopped at the famous Café Versailles in Miami, where Cuban American supporters sang him “Happy Birthday.” The café is notably a traditional gathering place for events of political significance in the Cuban exile community.
The indictment of the former president is being largely celebrated by left-wing media figures and political opponents, but most Republicans are standing behind Trump, calling the indictment a “witch hunt” and the “most political thing” they have ever seen.
“We all remember when Hillary Clinton deleted 30,000 emails that she knew needed to be turned over. And those phones? Yep, they crushed those with a hammer,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said. “Nothing to see there, no reason to investigate, and now that President Biden has been implicated in a $5 million bribery scheme, what they’re doing is trying to interfere with that investigation, and they’re going after President Trump. Two tiers of justice.”