Biden criticizes Trump over convictions and says he now poses a greater threat than in 2016

GREENWICH, Conn. – President Joe Biden placed on his predecessor and likely opponent in the November elections, donald trumpfor being convicted by a Manhattan jury on 34 criminal charges related to hush money payments, saying Monday night that “this campaign has entered uncharted territory.”

Speaking at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut, Biden said the former president “wants you to believe everything is rigged.

Echoing comments he made in reaction to the White House verdict last weekBiden said: “It’s reckless, dangerous and totally irresponsible for anyone to say it’s rigged just because you don’t like the verdict.”

He added that the justice system was a core of American democracy and “we should never allow anyone to tear it down.”

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was convicted on all charges related to a scheme during his 2016 presidential campaign to bribe porn star Stormy Daniels, who said the two had sex. The former president reached the verdict as politically motivated, and blamed Biden – while also seeking to become a political martyr in the eyes of supporters, suggesting that if this could happen to him, similar things could happen to them.

As he did last week, Biden noted that Trump’s case was a state case and not a federal case, was heard by a jury chosen the same way all national juries are chosen, and featured five weeks of evidence. He said the verdict was unanimous and that Trump could appeal.

But Biden went further on Monday, accusing Trump of equating the justice system with elections. He said the former president was “attacking both the judicial system and the electoral system as rigged.”

“Nothing could be more dangerous for the country, more dangerous for American democracy,” Biden said.

The president made no mention of the federal gun case against his son, Hunter, which began Monday in Delaware. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, seized on this, responding to Biden’s comments by stating that the president “will do anything to divert attention from the Hunter trial.”

Setting aside Trump’s convictions and his son’s case, Biden added: “Here’s what’s becoming clearer by the day: The threat Trump poses in his second term would be greater than it was in his first.” .

“This is not the same Trump who was elected in 2016,” Biden said.

Biden was attending a fundraiser organized by Richard Plepler, former CEO of HBO, and featuring Shonda Rhimes, who created television hits such as “Bridgerton,” “Scandal and” Grey’s Anatomy.” Biden went on to reference a television ad his campaign produced featuring another of his celebrity sponsors, actor Robert De Niro, narrating and stating that Trump “snapped” after losing to Biden in 2020.

“Something snapped in this guy — it really did — when he lost in 2020,” Biden said, suggesting the former president was “disturbed” and was the driving force behind a crowd of his supporters. storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“He can’t accept the fact that he lost, it’s literally driving him crazy,” Biden said. He added that the former president “wants to end the Constitution” and “says that if he loses, there will be a bloodbath in America.”

“What kind of man is this?” Biden asked.

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Weissert reported from Washington.