In a raucous display of coarse language and dishonesty, Donald Trump hurled insults at the prosecutor who charged him in his ongoing New York criminal trial, during at a rally on Saturday at the Jersey Shore filled with lies, personal attacks, and vulgar expressions.
The 2020 presidential election loser called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “fat Alvin” and described New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over his trial, as “highly conflicted.”
The Republican accused both men of “doing the bidding” of President Biden without evidence that the criminal prosecution of his misdeeds has any link to Biden or his administration.
The attacks were the latest show of defiance against America’s justice system from a candidate who is facing 88 criminal charges contained in four separate indictments.
They were part of a flurry of broadsides or baseless claims that Trump and his backers launched at a beachside rally that marked a return to the campaign trail after at the end of another week when the only American president ever charged with a crime spent much of his time in a courtroom.
He said he was indicted on “bullshit” prompting some in the crowd to repeat “bulls—” in response.
He attacked former New Jersey Republican governor Chris Christie, winking at the audience “you cannot call him a fat pig.”
As Trump berated the Biden administration, he asked the crowd: “Everything they touch, turns to what?”
“Shit!” the crowd responded.
“You can’t use the word shit,” Trump said, to laughs.
Against the backdrop of the Jersey Shore’s famed attractions, including the Great White roller coaster, Trump delivered a fiery speech that touched on familiar themes.
The event, held on the South Jersey beach, drew crowds of Trump’s most ardent supporters, many of whom arrived hours in advance, adorned in MAGA paraphernalia and waving flags. The atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm as attendees eagerly awaited the former president’s address.
Trump’s speech covered a wide range of topics, from immigration to the economy to foreign policy. He criticized Biden’s handling of the economy, dismissing positive economic indicators as “fake” and “rigged” while promising to reinstate his administration’s economic policies if elected for a second term.
The US economy grew by more than 3% in 2023, exceeding some pre-pandemic forecasts. Inflation has been at 2% in the second half of 2023. Unemployment remained below 4% for a second year in 2023, and is at its lowest level in 54 years. More workers are able to see wage gains above inflation than four years ago. Total household wealth was $156 trillion at the end of 2023, which is 7.5 times the average after-tax household income. Real private manufacturing construction investment reached its highest level on record since 1958 in 2023 Q3. Consumer expenditures continue to grow at a pace close to the average among prior expansions.
One notable moment of the rally was Trump’s recitation of “The Snake,” a song he has regularly used to underscore his anti-immigration rhetoric. The song escalates toward its climactic moment:
“I saved you,” cried that woman, “And you’ve bit me even, why?
You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die”
“Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin
“You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.”
Despite objections from the family of the song’s original creator, Trump’s rendition was met with applause and cheers from the crowd. “The elephant in the room is that Trump is the living embodiment of the snake that my father wrote about in that song,” said Africa Brown, song writer Oscar Brown’s daughter.
Throughout his speech, Trump also took the opportunity to lash out at his political opponents, accusing them of being soft on issues such as immigration and national security. He called on Biden and the Democratic Party to return donations from what he described as “antisemites, America haters, and financiers of chaos.”
The rally served as a reminder of Trump’s enduring popularity among his base, as attendees expressed unwavering support for the former president despite his miserable performance in office, where he botched the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and prove incapable of keeping campaign promises, as well as his flagrant violations of the law a failed attempt to remain in power following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
Despite facing ongoing legal challenges, including felony indictments in multiple jurisdictions, Trump’s core supporters remain firmly behind him and a large number of Americans appear to have become inured to the dangers he represents.
While New Jersey is traditionally a blue state, Wildwood signaled Trump’s intent to expand his support beyond his base and make inroads in key swing states.