The incumbent United States President Joe Biden’s administration, on Sunday (Dec 17) condemned former President Donald Trump for what they described as fascist-like rhetoric after he said undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country”. Trump was also accused of “praising dictators” when he quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a rally.
The remarks by the former president were made at a rally in the US state of New Hampshire, on Saturday (Dec 16) which will vote on a Republican candidate to face Democrat Biden for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
“Echoing the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists and threatening to oppress those who disagree with the government are dangerous attacks on the dignity and rights of all Americans, on our democracy, and on public safety,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.
He added, “It’s the opposite of everything we stand for as Americans.” White House also condemned Trump for trying to “tear Americans apart with hate and cruelty” and said Biden believes “our leaders have a responsibility to bring the country together around our shared values.”
This comes a day after the Biden campaign took a shot at Trump’s remarks at the rally and compared them to those of Adolf Hitler.
“Tonight Donald Trump channeled his role models as he parroted Adolf Hitler, praised Kim Jong Un, and quoted Vladimir Putin while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator and threaten American democracy,” said Biden-Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa, on Saturday.
While Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants is nothing new, it does come days after he said that he would act on immigration – one of the most divisive issues in the US – like a “dictator” but in his words, only on the first day if he becomes the president.
“They poisoning the blood of our country,” said Trump during the rally, adding that immigrants are flooding the US from Asia and Africa, in addition to South America.
The rhetoric, previously criticised as xenophobic, resurfaced during a fiery rally in Durham where he addressed a crowd of several thousand supporters.
“When they let, I think the real number is 15, 16 million people, into our country, when they do that, we got a lot of work to do,” said Trump, without giving evidence for the numbers. He also went on to quote Putin, who had previously praised for the invasion of Ukraine.
“Even Vladimir Putin...says that Biden’s – and this is a quote – politically motivated persecution of his political rival is very good for Russia, because it shows the rottenness of the American political system,” said the former president.
Trump also reportedly praised Hungary’s authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in his remarks.
The Republican frontrunner was also criticised by members of his own party, including former New Jersey governor and White House hopeful Chris Christie. “He’s becoming crazier,” he told CNN.
He added, “We can’t beat Joe Biden with someone who talks that way about immigrants to this country.” Christie, who has emerged as Trump’s most outspoken critic, also accused him of “dog-whistling to Americans who feel under stress and strain from the economy and conflicts around the world.”
(With inputs from agencies)