BEDMINSTER, New Jersey – Tonight was déjà vu for Donald Trump.
Just two months after delivering a defiant speech at Mar-a-Lago following his indictment over the hush money payment in Manhattan, the former president delivered a similar message Tuesday night at his private Bedminster club after appearing in court in Miami for the classified documents case.
“Today we witnessed the most evil and egregious abuse of power in the history of our country,” Trump said from the stage in front of hundreds of supporters under the New Jersey sky. Therefore, he assured his allies that “there is no other option” than to re-elect him to the White House in 2024.
The message contrasts with the possibility that in the coming months he will face new additional accusations derived from other investigations still underway.
Tonight, chants of “Lock him up” rang out as he pronounced he would “appoint a real special prosecutor to go after” Joe Biden, his family and other political opponents, targeting the incumbent president whom he has continually ridiculed because, he said, he drives criminal charges for political purposes.
Trump did not use his speech to deny that he had the classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property. He also did not deny obstructing justice, as the Justice Department indictment states.
Instead, Trump focused his legal defense on the argument that he had a right to have the documents on his property.
“He had every right to have these documents,” Trump claimed. “The crucial legal precedent is set in the most important case on this issue known as the Clinton socks case.”
COVERED BY THEIRS IN BEDMINSTER
The former president traveled from Miami to New Jersey to speak surrounded by his followers. Three of his legal defense team were sitting stage right listening to him: Boris Ephsteyn, Lindsey Halligan and Alina Habba.
Walt Nauta was not present at the meeting, although a Trump aide said he traveled back to New Jersey with the former president who will continue to participate in his daily activities.
The meeting was attended by a litany of allies, including Eric and Lara Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Taylor Budowich, Jim Marchant, Bernie Moreno, Mike Lindell, Ric Grenell and Kash Patel.
Originally, there was a Trump campaign fundraiser scheduled at the club tonight, but that purpose got mixed up with his speech.
After the event, Trump went up to the top of the Bedminster banquet hall, the backdrop for his speech tonight, and played some of his favorite classics on the sound system.
Upon Trump’s arrival at the club in a motorcade, four helicopters flew overhead tracking his movements from Newark International Airport to Bedminster.
Joseph Malone, a constitutional lawyer, analyzed the circumstances of both events.
