In Campaign Speech, Donald Trump Says He's A 'Proud Political Dissident' Who Would 'Rather Lose My Freedom Than Surrender To This Group Of Thugs'

During his appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland on Saturday, former President Donald Trump said he was a "political dissident," after comparing himself to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last week.

Trump's remarks — which included his grievances against President Joe Biden and prosecutors he labeled as "tyrants" and "fascists" — came as he continues to navigate through 91 criminal charges, reported the Financial Times. 

“I stand before you today not only as your past and hopefully future president but as a proud political dissident,” Trump said.

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“I would rather lose my freedom than surrender to this group of thugs and tyrants, and fascists, scoundrels and rogues,” he added, citing Biden and “deranged” prosecutors.

“I told you that if Crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated, and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos and violent crime. We were right about everything,” Trump said.

CPAC, once a platform for traditional mainstream Republicans, is now largely controlled by Trump, his allies, and their staunch unilateralism, economic populism, and anti-immigration stance, according to the Financial Times. This year's conference slogan was "where globalism goes to die." 

Potential vice presidential candidates, including Kristi Noem, Elise Stefanik, and Ben Carson, also appeared at the conference, signaling their support for Trump's leadership.

Trump's comments elsewhere have recently sparked controversy, particularly his recent claims of gaining support from Black voters due to his criminal charges and mugshot. The remarks have since been criticized by the Biden campaign and Nikki Haley, Trump's rival for the Republican nomination, as "disgusting" and a departure from Republican norms.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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