Former US President Donald Trump has quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin to prove his point that democracy in America is in serious danger.
Speaking at a rally in New Hampshire on Saturday, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination proclaimed that incumbent Joe Biden, who is likely to be his main rival in the 2024 presidential election, was “a threat to democracy.”
He went on to say that “even Vladimir Putin… says that Biden’s – and this is a quote – ‘politically motivated persecution of his political rival is very good for Russia because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy’.”
The whole world is watching the “political persecution” of Joe Biden’s opponent, who is “kicking his ass,” Trump said, apparently referring to his performance against the incumbent president.
He also recalled that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – whom Trump described as “highly respected” – had said that the Republican frontrunner is “the man who can save the Western world” as he could have stopped many global crises, including the Ukraine conflict.
Putin made the cited remarks in September, when he suggested that the growing number of indictments against the former US president was a campaign against an important political figure unleashed in plain sight. “They have just exposed their internal problems,” the Russian leader said.
In recent months, Trump has found himself at the center of several cases, four of which have resulted in indictments; in total, he faces 91 criminal counts. The first allegation states that he paid hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels; Trump has denied having an affair with her.
The second case centers on Trump’s alleged removal of classified documents from the White House after leaving office. Meanwhile, two other indictments focus on his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Despite being embroiled in a number of legal battles, the former president announced last November that he would run for office again in 2024. Several recent polls have suggested that Trump would beat Biden in a hypothetical rematch next year by a comfortable margin.
Meanwhile, a November NBC poll suggested that Biden’s approval rating had slipped to the lowest point of his presidency, with just 40% being satisfied with the job he was doing in office.