What do former US President Donald Trump and Nelson Mandela have in common? The anti-apartheid icon may be an unlikely contender as one thinks of the Republican leader, but as Trump noted on Monday, they were both on a mission to save the country. Both leaders had been a ‘victim of federal and state prosecutors’ and much like the ex-POTUS, found themselves skating on the edge of incarceration.
“I don’t mind being Nelson Mandela because I’m doing it for a reason. We’ve got to save our country from these fascists, these lunatics that we’re dealing with. They’re horrible people and they’re destroying our country,” Trump told am amped-up crowd of supporters at a sports complex in Derry.
The remarks came soon after the Republican leader had filed his registration for the New Hampshire presidential primary.
Much of Trump’s at times profane address focused on the many criminal and civil cases against him and included a diatribe against President Joe Biden’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel. He also suggested at one point that he go to prison like the former South African president who spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa’s apartheid system and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump is facing four criminal indictments as well as civil trials that span allegations that he inflated his worth, misclassified hush money payments to women during his 2016 campaign, illegally tried to overturn his 2020 election loss and hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club.
The comments came after Trump formally filed for the first-in-the-nation primary, becoming the first person who has served as president to do so in person more than once.
(With inputs from agencies)
“Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!” Click here!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Updated: 25 Oct 2023, 04:30 AM IST