President Joe Biden called former President Donald Trump a “convicted criminal” who “broke out” after the 2020 election at a campaign event on Monday.
“For the first time in American history, a former president who is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of president,” Biden told the crowd at the fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut. “But as disturbing as this is, more damaging is the all-out attack that Donald Trump is making on the American justice system.”
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records at his silent trial in New York. Biden addressed Trump’s conviction on Friday, taking asto clean in the attacks that Trump and his allies have launched against the judicial system.
“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for someone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden told reporters at the White House last week.
Biden made similar comments on Monday, saying, “It’s reckless and dangerous for someone to say this is rigged just because they don’t like” the outcome.
“Something really happened to this guy” after the 2020 election, Biden said. “This is literally driving him crazy.”
Biden also called Trump “deranged.”
NBC News was first to report last week that before Trump’s conviction, Biden’s campaign explored the possibility of taking a more aggressive stance on his legal issues. Those discussions included the possibility of referring to Trump as a “convicted criminal,” NBC News reported.
Throughout the trial, the Biden campaign was careful to comment directly on the proceedings, carefully maneuvering to avoid conflict. Criticism of Trump’s campaign that the case amounted to election interference by the Biden administration.
Trump has continually criticized the verdict and legal proceedings since he was convicted in a Manhattan court. Speaking to reporters outside Trump Tower on Friday, he called the trial a “sham” and claimed it was “all done by Biden and his people. This is done by Washington.”
As NBC News reported In January, Trump’s attacks on the judicial system increased as important dates approached in his criminal and civil cases.
On Sunday, he again criticized the verdict in a wide-ranging interview with Fox News and said there could be a “breaking point” for the public if he is sentenced to prison or house arrest in the case.
Trump still faces criminal charges in three other cases: the Georgia election interference case, the Florida documents case, and the federal election interference case. He is also appealing the results of his civil trials.
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
