“Trump quotes Putin to attack Biden, uses White supremacist rhetoric at New Hampshire rally”
Former President Donald Trump quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack President Joe Biden as a “threat to democracy” and doubled down on language condemned for its ties to White supremacist rhetoric during a campaign event in New Hampshire on Saturday.
At a rally in Durham, New Hampshire, Trump told supporters that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” sparking criticism from the Anti-Defamation League and others.
Trump also praised two authoritarian foreign leaders, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban “highly respected” and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “very nice.”
His comments come amid a pattern of expressing fondness for foreign leaders who use anti-democratic measures to maintain power. This aligns with his previous statements suggesting admiration for dictatorial rule.
Following the rally, Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said Trump “parroted Adolf Hitler” in his New Hampshire remarks. “He is betting he can win this election by scaring and dividing this country. He’s wrong. In 2020, Americans chose President Biden’s vision of hope and unity over Trump’s vision of fear and division — and they’ll do the same next November.”
In response to the comments about immigrants, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s GOP rivals, reiterated the “huge risk” that people who cross the border illegally pose to Americans.
Trump’s visit to New Hampshire was part of his effort to solidify his status as the 2024 Republican front-runner. This comes amid an aggressive effort by his team to maintain his lead in the race. His advisers have privately voiced concerns that Trump supporters could simply assume he has a comfortable advantage in the race and is not reliant on their votes.
The former president continues to lead in national polls, with 52% of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters naming him as their top choice in the primary, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday. His nearest challenger was DeSantis, at 14%.
This story has been updated with additional information. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Alison Main, Kit Maher and Veronica Straqualursi contributed to this report.