Former US president Donald Trump has once again attacked his successor Joe Biden, calling him “the most unpatriotic president in American history.”
Trump made the remarks Saturday in Sarasota, Florida, during a rally billed as a Fourth of July celebration with fireworks, the latest in a series of appearances as he tries to keep Republicans' focus on him.
Biden "is perhaps the most unpatriotic president in American history" since his administration canceled a planned fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota over concerns about the transmission of Covid-19.
"We had fireworks at Mount Rushmore that were so incredible ... and it was wonderful, and then, I saw the other day that they refuse to allow it to happen again. I think they do it in spite," he told thousands of supporters gathered outdoors. "It's so ridiculous. It's so sad."
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem sued the National Park Service after the federal department denied a request to hold the celebration.
Noem's lawsuit was, however, tossed by the US District Court for the District of South Dakota on June 2, with a judge writing that although the fireworks display was "appealing," ruling in Noem's favor would amount to "improper judicial activism."
Trump bashes New York charges against company, adviser
During his speech, Trump also condemned New York prosecutors for bringing charges against his namesake company and longtime financial adviser.
On Thursday, the Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg were charged with tax-related crimes by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Weisselberg and other executives were accused of receiving perks and benefits like rent-free apartments and leased cars, without reporting them properly on their tax returns.
Trump said Saturday that "it's really called prosecutorial misconduct. It's a terrible, terrible thing."
"They've mobilized every power of government to come after me, my family, my wonderful employees and my company solely because of politics," he told the crowd.
The Trump Organization and Weisselberg pleaded not guilty Thursday, but the outcome of the investigations and other lawsuits facing Trump could impact whether he decides to run again for president in 2024.
The investigations into the Trump Organization were launched after a congressional testimony by his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who turned on his former boss since pleading guilty in 2018 to various fraud and campaign finance charges.