June 13 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump blasted his federal indictment as a “heinous abuse of power” Tuesday night in a speech to supporters, after pleading not guilty in Miami to 37 counts related to mishandling classified documents.
Trump, who remains free to travel and was not ordered to surrender his passport, traveled to New Jersey and spoke for 30 minutes to a small crowd outside the entrance to Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.
“Today, we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of the country,” Trump said. “This is called election interference. It’s political persecution.”
“Threatening me with 400 years in prison for possessing my own presidential papers as every other president has done,” Trump added, looking subdued.
“They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom. They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you,” Trump said. “They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you and I just happen to be standing in their way.”
Earlier in the day, Trump surrendered himself at Miami Federal Courthouse and was processed before facing special counsel Jack Smith and Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman for his arraignment. Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche entered not guilty pleas to all 37 counts on behalf of the former president.
During his speech Tuesday night, Trump blasted the “scam indictment by the corrupt Biden administration” and claimed he had “every right to have these documents.” He repeatedly cited the Presidential Records Act, which he said “is civil, not criminal,” and swore he had “planned to go through those boxes.”
Trump spent much of his speech discussing former President Bill Clinton‘s “lost nuclear codes,” Hillary Clinton‘s “emails” and President Joe Biden‘s “garage documents,” as he claimed there are “two standards of justice in this country.”
“I’m not the one who thinks they’re above the law, I’m the one who followed the law,” Trump claimed.
“I had absolute declassification authority as president. Biden had no declassification authority as vice president,” Trump said. “They ought to drop this case immediately because they are destroying the country.”
Before wrapping up, Trump promised the crowd he will “get justice when he is re-elected president in 2024.”
“And I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden,” Trump said to cheers.
Tuesday’s speech was billed as Trump’s first election fundraising event, during which the crowd sang “happy birthday.” Trump sarcastically responded “wonderful birthday.” He turns 77 on Wednesday.