In a remarkable courtroom confrontation, Donald Trump directly refuted claims that he had likened the US justice system to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, telling the presiding judge the comparison was "not my style".
The extraordinary exchange unfolded in Washington DC's federal court during a hearing concerning the criminal case against the former president for allegedly attempting to subvert the 2020 election results.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who's overseeing the high-profile case, confronted Trump about a social media post from his Truth Social platform where he allegedly stated: "If you go after me, I'm coming after you!".
The judge raised concerns that such rhetoric could be interpreted as intimidating potential witnesses or influencing the jury pool in the forthcoming trial.
During the tense proceedings, Judge Chutkan referenced another of Trump's posts that supposedly drew parallels between his legal treatment and persecution in Nazi Germany. The judge appeared to suggest the former president had invoked Hitler's regime in his criticism of the justice system.
Trump, speaking directly to the court, firmly denied making any such comparison. "I never said that," he stated emphatically. "I would never say that. It's not my style to compare things to Hitler."
The former president's legal team argued that his social media posts constituted protected political speech, while prosecutors maintained they represented potentially dangerous rhetoric that could undermine the judicial process.
This courtroom drama represents just one front in Trump's extensive legal battles, which include multiple criminal indictments across different jurisdictions as he simultaneously campaigns for a return to the White House in the next presidential election.
The hearing concluded with Judge Chutkan warning both parties about the boundaries of acceptable public commentary as the case progresses toward trial.
