Washington:
Former President Donald Trump has strengthened his claim that his Democratic successor has weaponized the US justice system against him, comparing Joe Biden's tactics to those of Hitler's Gestapo, US media reported on Sunday.
The Republican 2024 presidential candidate made the comment on Saturday during a private meeting with top party leaders and wealthy donors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to a recording provided to US media by one donor.
In a 90-minute speech, Trump accused Democrats of “running a Gestapo government,” referring to the secret police in Nazi Germany. “This is the only way they can win,” he said.
The “Gestapo” comment came as the campaign began to heat up, and follows several other comments from Trump that critics say are dangerously inflammatory, including calling political rivals “vermin” and comparing immigrants to “animals.”
His comments at Mar-a-Lago drew loud applause from the crowd, which included several potential vice presidential picks, according to Politico.
He again lashed out at prosecutors who filed four separate lawsuits against him, including the hush-money trial now underway in New York.
Trump denounced what he claimed was a “witch hunt” hatched by the Democratic administration to eliminate his main presidential rival.
The Biden campaign, which has denied any role in the lawsuits, responded Sunday, saying the Republican's angry comments confirmed “what we already knew: Trump's campaign is about him. His anger, his revenge, his lies and his retaliation.”
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