Former President Donald Trump speaking out for the first time since he was charged with 34 felony counts.
During an event on Tuesday evening, Trump insisted, “I never thought anything like this could happen in America… the only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”
He went on:
“From the beginning, the Democrats spied on my campaign, remember that? They attacked me with an onslaught of fraudulent investigations. Russia, Russia, Russa. Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine. Impeachment hoax No. 1. Impeachment hoax No. 2. The illegal and unconstitutional raid on Mar-a-Lago.”
Check out his remarks below:
Former President Trump: "I never thought anything like this could happen in America…the only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it." pic.twitter.com/cgrftoXHH8
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 5, 2023
Trump also claimed Democrats have “really stepped up their efforts” with his indictment.
“In the wings, they’ve got a local racist Democrat district attorney in Atlanta who is doing everything in her power to indict me over an absolutely perfect phone call — even more perfect than the one I made with the President of Ukraine,” he added.
The former president’s comments about the district attorney in Georgia refer to a phone call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” enough votes to reverse the results of the state’s 2020 election.
Former President Trump on Georgia probe: "In the wings they've got a local racist Democrat district attorney in Atlanta who is doing everything in her power to indict me over an absolutely perfect phone call." pic.twitter.com/YvowrUaJi1
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 5, 2023
Finally, Trump claimed, “Our justice system has become lawless. They’re using it now — in addition to everything else — to win elections… they came up with a new one… they’re looking at me through the Espionage Act… of 1917 where the penalty is death.”
He also suggested Bragg “is the criminal” and should be “prosecuted, or at a minimum, he should resign.”
His comments come hours after he was arraigned in a Manhattan courthouse related to Bragg’s investigation into his alleged role in hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
The former president was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Check out the full indictment below:
READ: Indictment against former President Donald Trump –> https://t.co/Fk2XoDdKPg pic.twitter.com/7uoE9GeYM1
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 4, 2023
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges.