President Joe Biden called former President Donald Trump a "convicted felon," claiming that if he wins another term, he will represent a greater threat to the United States.
Last week, a New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying records to conceal a payment to silence a porn actress ahead of the 2016 election, making him the first American president to be convicted of a felony.
"For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency," Biden told a small group of donors during a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut.
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"But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice," Biden said, adding it was "reckless and dangerous" to say the justice system is rigged because Trump and his allies don't like the outcome.
According to Biden's campaign staffers, Biden had previously avoided commenting on Trump's guilty conviction to avoid giving the idea that he was politicizing the process.
The president's remarks on Monday provide a window into how he and his team can exploit Trump's conviction to make the case to voters that Trump is unsuitable for office. This might help define this year's presidential contest by bringing Trump's misdeeds to the forefront of the campaign.
A Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News that it was "shameful" for the Biden campaign to refer to Trump as a convicted criminal. Trump has raged against the decision and legal processes since his conviction, and he intends to appeal. On Sunday, he stated that he would accept house confinement or jail.
Earlier in the day, Biden's son Hunter was in court for a criminal case against him over his purchase and possession of a revolver in 2018, a historic criminal prosecution of a sitting president's son with the potential to influence the 2024 presidential election.
Earlier in the day, Biden's son Hunter appeared in court for a criminal case stemming from his purchase and possession of a handgun in 2018, marking a historic criminal prosecution of a sitting president's son with the potential to impact the 2024 presidential race.
Biden declined to comment on his son's legal issues. He had earlier in the day released a statement stating, "Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today," and adding that many families have loved ones who have conquered addiction.
