President Biden, urged on by Democrats to directly address former President Donald J. Trump regarding Mr. Trump’s criminal conviction in his New York hush-money case, responded to those calls on Monday night during a high-dollar fundraiser in Connecticut for his re-election campaign and the party.
At a reception in Greenwich, Mr. Biden criticized his opponent, stating that the campaign had entered “uncharted territory” following Mr. Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 felony counts last Thursday.
He emphasized that Mr. Trump had become the first former president and convicted felon to run for the Oval Office.
“However, what is even more concerning is the blatant attack Donald Trump is launching on the American justice system,” Mr. Biden reportedly stated, as per a pool reporter covering the event.
Mr. Biden referred to Mr. Trump as “unhinged” and accused him of undermining another democratic institution with his harsh comments post-verdict.
“It is reckless and dangerous for anyone to claim that it’s rigged simply because they disagree with the outcome,” he added.
In response to a request for comment on Monday night, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign criticized Mr. Biden in a statement, accusing the president of trying to divert attention from his son Hunter’s federal gun charge trial that began on Monday.
Mr. Biden’s strong words at the fundraiser, hosted by Richard Plepler, the former CEO of HBO, marked a significant shift in his approach to Mr. Trump’s conviction by a Manhattan jury.
When questioned on Friday at the White House about the verdict, Mr. Biden smiled and walked away without further comment after discussing the Gaza conflict. His reluctance to engage personally with Mr. Trump’s legal troubles aligned with his overall strategy of avoiding direct confrontation.
Mr. Biden’s statements at the fundraiser echoed parts of a televised address at the White House on Friday before he discussed his administration’s latest efforts to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Despite this, Democrats had called for a more forceful approach.
Mr. Biden did not only focus on Mr. Trump’s criminal status during the fundraiser.
He also recalled the incident when Mr. Trump suggested during a White House coronavirus briefing four years ago that bleach could be used to treat the disease, a piece of medical advice that was immediately debunked.
“He must have injected it into his brain,” Mr. Biden quipped, as reported by a pool report.
