Donald Trump said on Thursday that if he wins the 2024 presidential election, he will order the Justice Department to investigate "radical" county and state prosecutors whom he accused of targeting conservatives.
In a campaign speech, the former president, who faces multiple criminal investigations, said the prosecutors were "persecuting conservatives" and touched on his policy positions and personal grievances as he painted himself as a victim of the so-called Deep State.
"On day one of my new administration, I will direct the DOJ to investigate every radical district attorney and attorney general in America for their illegal, racist ... enforcement of the law," Trump told more than 1,000 supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Trump faces at least four criminal investigations including a federal probe into his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters and a recent New York indictment related to a hush money payment to a porn star. Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the investigations politically motivated.
Trump also sought to reframe the choice between him and President Joe Biden. Biden, a Democrat, launched his reelection campaign two days ago with a video promising to protect personal freedoms from "extremists" linked to the former Republican president.
Trump said the U.S. was a "failing nation" and pointed to economic data on Thursday showing U.S. economic growth slowed dramatically in the first three months of 2023.
"The choice in this election is now between strength or weakness, between success or failure, between safety or anarchy, between peace or conflict, and prosperity or catastrophe," Trump said.
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