Donald Trump declared that the US was becoming a “Third World Nation” on Monday as Americans celebrated the Labor Day holiday and the ex-president stewed over an ongoing criminal investigation into his handling of classified materials.
The former president has repeatedly lashed out at the Biden administration and the Justice Department in particular as the embarrassing news of the raid has left his part squarely on defence.
“The USA is rapidly becoming a Third World Nation. Crooked Elections, No Borders, a Weaponized Justice Department & FBI, record setting INFLATION, highest ever Energy Prices (and everything else), and all, including our Military, is WOKE, WOKE, WOKE. Most dangerous time in the history of our Country!!!” wrote Mr Trump on his social media platform.
No charges have yet been filed officially in the DoJ’s investigation but it’s clear that things are currently trending in that direction as the Justice Department has vigorously defended the unprecedented search of the former president’s residence.
Some legal analysts like Republican attorney George Conway have opined that the available evidence is already enough for the DoJ to secure a conviction at trial for the mishandling of classified documents.
Mr Trump was harbouring a significant number at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to statements now from his own attorneys and representatives; he and his allies have claimed that it was his right to do so, but critics of that argument note that all presidential records are transferred to the control of the National Archives after a president leaves office.
Mr Trump has also claimed that the documents in his possession were/are protected by executive privilege, an argument the Justice Department recently rejected in a legal filing in the yet unresolved court battle over the search of his home.
His remarks about the state of the country are somewhat ironic given that he was president for four years and ran for reelection on a slogan of “Keep America Great”. By Mr Trump’s logic, the US transitioned from the pinnacle of world power and prestige to the bottom almost immediately after he left office.
Recent postings by the former president on Truth Social have focused intense anger on the FBI and Justice Department, which he claims are being weaponised against him. The result has been an uptick in threats directed against federal agents noted in a joint memo from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security last month. One man even died after attacking an Ohio FBI headquarters and engaging in a shootout with law enforcement.
