MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (AP News) — Former President Donald Trump turned his attention to the general election on Thursday, using his first campaign appearance since President Joe Biden launched his reelection bid to boast his poll numbers and suggest that he does not need to debate his Republican rivals.
Since his legal troubles increased, Trump's appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early-voting state. He spoke on the same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, writer E. Jean Carroll testified Thursday that Trump raped her in the 1990s, a charge he denies.
"You know, I said in a speech recently, they said somebody said, what do you think about Xi, he’s a very powerful, strong man. He’s at the top of his game," Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical, large-scale rallies.
"The fake news media said, How dare they say that? I said, What am I going to say? He controls 1.5 billion people, no he’s not at the top of his game," he added.
Speaking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he claimed that the war would have never happened under his leadership. "Before I even arrive at the Oval Office shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. Would have never happened that war, would it?"
"I spoke to Putin about it. There was no chance that he would have gone in with me as president. Was no chance that President Xi of China would have gone into Taiwan,” he remarked.
