ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump told Republican donors at his Florida residence this weekend that President Joe Biden is running a “Gestapo-type administration,” the latest example of the former president using the language of Nazi Germany in his campaign rhetoric.
Saturday’s comments at Mar-a-Lago were mentioned by people who attended the event and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The “Gestapo” comment, one person said, came as Trump renewed his claim that the Biden White House is behind the presumptive Republican nominee’s multiple criminal prosecutions, including his fraud and bribery trial in New York and cases additional charges stemming from their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The Gestapo was the secret police force of the Third Reich that repressed political opposition generally and specifically focused on arresting Jews during the Holocaust.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday and basically confirmed Trump’s statement but tried to downplay it.
“This was a brief comment that delved into something that wasn’t really central to what I was talking about,” said Burgum, who is among the contenders to be Trump’s running mate.
He claimed that Trump drew the parallel as part of his accusation that the current administration is behind the former president’s legal problems. “Most Americans feel that the trial he is now in is for political purposes,” the governor added.
The New York Times first reported on Trump’s comments after obtaining an audio recording of the Mar-a-Lago event.
“These people are running a Gestapo-type administration,” Trump told Republican donors, according to the newspaper. “It’s the only way to win.”
Biden’s re-election campaign criticized the reference.
“Trump is once again making despicable and insulting comments about the Holocaust, while at the same time attacking law enforcement, celebrating political violence and threatening our democracy,” James Singer, a spokesman for the Democrat’s campaign, said in a statement. .
___
Mascaró reported from Washington.
