The Republican candidate, facing four separate criminal proceedings, is sharply critical of what he sees as a ‘witch-hunt’ orchestrated by the Democratic administration to discredit him in the presidential race

In yet another heated verbal exchange, former Republican President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. According to reports in several US media outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, Trump accused the current administration of using the justice system for political purposes and compared it to the Gestapo, the political police of Nazi Germany.

During a speech to Republican executives and donors at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump again denounced the prosecutors who are pursuing him in several criminal cases, including one for which he has been on trial since 15 April in New York. Targeted by four separate proceedings, he has strongly criticised what he perceives to be a ‘witch hunt’ orchestrated by the Democratic administration to disqualify him from the presidential race. The White House has categorically denied any involvement in these legal proceedings.

In response, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said, ‘Rather than adopting the fear-mongering language of fascists, hobnobbing with neo-Nazis, and spreading debunked conspiracy theories that have claimed the lives of brave police officers, President Biden is rallying Americans around our democratic values and the rule of law.’ Prior to this, Joe Biden’s campaign team had criticised Trump’s rhetoric in a statement, saying, ‘Trump’s campaign is all about him, his anger, his vengeance and his lies.’