Donald Trump on Tuesday delivered a fiery and defiant speech in his first public remarks since audio recording surfaced in which the former president is heard talking about a “highly confidential” document.
“I'll never forget our enemies who want to stop us, because we are the only ones who can stop them,” Trump said during an appearance at a Republican women’s luncheon in Concord, New Hampshire.
The former president posted video from Tuesday’s speech on his Truth Social website.
His remarks followed a recording from a 2021 interview Trump gave at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club in which the former president appears to undercut a previous claim that the documents in question contained just news clippings.
Trump is facing a 37-count indictment over allegations he mishandled classified documents. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his June 13 arraignment.
In Trump’s speech on Tuesday, the former president framed the Department of Justice case against him in existential terms.
“And if these corrupt persecutions of our people succeed, they will complete their takeover of this country and destroy your way of life and it'll be destroyed forever,” Trump said.
“You're never gonna be able to come back. It's gonna be so far down right now. We’re really, truly a failing nation.”
Trump suggested he’s the only thing standing in the way of such persecutions, which he said is an “honor.”
“They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom, and they want to silence me because I will not let them silence you. That's what's happening here,” Trump said, repeating a line he uses quite frequently.
“It's an amazing thing and it's a great honor for me, to be honest.”
Trump touted poll numbers that he said have risen since his indictment.
“They don't love me,” Trump said of the pollsters, suggesting those conducting them are biased against him, “but … there's only so much they can do, right?"
“But in the end, they're not after me. They're after you and I'm just standing in their way right? We know that.”
