Former President Donald Trump is facing criticism on social media after expressing a preference for living in Europe over being in the United States.
Trump made the statement during a rally in Windham, New Hampshire, where he addressed various topics, including the criminal indictments he is currently facing.
Last week, Trump was indicted in connection with Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, adding to the former president's legal woes including a federal grand jury indictment for stealing classified documents.
Trump faces four felony counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. The indictment further accuses him of attempting to exploit the events of January 6—the day a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol on the false premise the election had been stolen—to further his quest to maintain power.
You can hear what Trump said in the video below.
Trump said:
"They know it's a phony story. They say he's going to jail."
"I could have been relaxing at Mar-a-Lago or in the south of France, which I would prefer to being in this country frankly."
A short video clip of Trump's remarks was widely shared on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where it garnered significant attention and millions of views.
Trump's comment about preferring the south of France over the United States sparked a backlash among some users on X, with criticism directed at the former President for what some perceived as an unpatriotic statement.
Trump—as is his custom—also used the rally as an opportunity to attack his political opponents, namely former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie.
Christie spoke out against Trump after he referred to Christie as a "fat pig" and said Christie is "eating right now" and "can't be bothered."
Christie responded that Trump should "show up to the debate and say it to my face," an attempt to goad Trump into participating in the upcoming first Republican presidential debate, which is scheduled to be hosted by Fox News on August 23.
