Donald Trump claimed the US was "going to hell" in a defiant rally speech to his supporters after appearing in court.
Addressing a crowd at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida the former President lashed out at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against him and declared himself the victim of election interference.
In an inflammatory attack against the US judicial system, he claimed the judge overseeing the case was the "real criminal" and warned he was undermining democracy.
In his tirade against the legal case, he claimed his political opponents were using the legal system against him to try to stop him from winning back the White House in 2024.
The former President declared 'our country is going to hell'
Reuters
"Our country is going to hell," he declared.
"I never thought anything like this could happen in America.
"The only crime that I've committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it. It's an insult to our country."
Earlier, Trump pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, as prosecutors accused him of orchestrating payments to two women before the 2016 election to suppress publication of their sexual encounters with him.
Trump, running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, on Tuesday night in Florida gave a relatively short speech, 25 minutes, compared to his rally speeches that can sometimes last two hours.
"I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating family, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris," he said.
“This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately."
The former President praised his family for their support, saying "they've done a fantastic job and we appreciate it".
Only some of Donald Trump's family were in attendance for the speech
Reuters
Several family members appeared alongside him for his speech, including his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.
However, his daughter Ivanka and his wife Melania were nowhere to be seen.
The legal action against Trump has seen him become the clear favourite to win the Republican nomination for the 2024 Presidency, with supporters rallying behind the former businessman.
Re-using his 2016 election slogan last night, Trump told those gathered: "We will make America great again."