Former president Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack on President Joe Biden in a speech over the weekend, baselessly claiming Biden is part of a “conspiracy to overthrow the United States.”
Speaking ahead of crucial Super Tuesday primaries, Trump homed in on Biden’s border policies and alleged the administration wants to “collapse the American system.”
“Biden and his accomplices want to nullify the will of American voters and establish a new base of power,” Trump told supporters in Virginia on Saturday.
He charged that Democrats are “trying to sign [migrants] up to get them to vote in the next election,” echoing far-right conspiracy theories about increasing immigrant voter rolls.
However, Biden spokesperson Ammar Moussa firmly rejected the “distraction” claims, pointing to Trump’s failure to renew the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for ‘Dreamers’ during his term.
Independent fact-checkers have repeatedly dismissed claims of widespread voter fraud as false. Experts note immigration itself does not affect the legitimacy of elections.
Trump’s speech set a combative tone ahead of crucial Super Tuesday primaries, where about 70% of delegates are up for grabs. Neither Trump nor Biden can lock down their party’s nomination yet, but both aim to gain momentum.
The former president has stepped up election denialism as he faces multiple investigations over the January 6th Capitol attack and his business dealings in New York.
Meanwhile, Biden receives criticism over soaring inflation and concerns about the economy. Trump seeks to cast doubt on the 2020 election results and paint Biden as weak on immigration at the Southern border.
University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato called Trump’s comments “unhinged” and a sign the former president is worried about courtroom setbacks and rival candidates like Ron DeSantis.
However, with neither nominee certain after Super Tuesday, the race remains highly competitive and divisive rhetoric could energize each camp’s base. The impact of Trump’s remarks remains to be seen as Americans head to the polls.
The battle for the Republican nomination, and the 2024 election overall, is shaping up to be another highly polarized contest with trust in democratic institutions facing strain on both sides of the political divide.