Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, mocked President Joe Biden's stutter and called on "disillusioned Democrats" to join his MAGA movement during a rally in Rome, Georgia, on Saturday. Trump's speech, which came on the heels of his potential rival Nikki Haley's withdrawal from the GOP primary, set the stage for a likely rematch between the two men in the upcoming election.
In his address to supporters, Trump lashed out at Biden's recent State of the Union speech, labeling it an "angry, dark, hate-filled rant" and accusing the president of failing to unite the country. Despite claiming to want to bring Americans together regardless of party affiliation, Trump resorted to mocking Biden's speech impediment, casting doubts on the sincerity of the president's call for unity.
"That was the worst president in history, making the worst State of the Union speech in history," Trump said. "But if you're a disillusioned Democrat, of which there are many today, I extend an open hand, an open invitation, and I ask you to join us on the noble quest of saving our country! Saving our country!"
The former president went on to criticize Biden's presidency, calling it a "miserable nightmare" and labeling him "the most incompetent president we've ever had, the worst president, the most incompetent and the most corrupt." Trump then mockingly added, "Other than that, I think he's doing actually quite a good job."
Trump's appeal to Democrats was punctuated by his imitation of Biden's stutter, as he screwed his face into a pinched pose and repeated the "t" sound in the word "together." "Two nights ago, we all heard Crooked Joe's angry, dark, hate-filled rant of a State of the Union address, wasn't it? Didn't it bring us together? 'Bring the country t-t-together? I'm going to bring it together.' No. He's a threat to democracy. I will tell you. He's a threat to democracy," Trump said.
The former president's remarks come as he faces an unprecedented 91 criminal charges across four indictments in Washington D.C., New York, Georgia, and Florida. These charges include conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, conspiracy against civil rights, obstruction, withholding and altering documents, false statements, and falsifying business records. If found guilty of every charge against him, Trump could face a sentence of over 300 years in prison.
Despite the mounting legal challenges, Trump has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing and has described the charges against him as a "political witch hunt." His status as the presumptive Republican nominee suggests that his legal troubles have not significantly diminished his support among GOP voters.
With Haley's withdrawal from the primary race, the stage appears to be set for a potential rematch between Trump and Biden in the 2024 presidential election. However, the outcome of Trump's legal battles and any unforeseen developments within both parties could still alter the political landscape in the months leading up to the election.
