Former President Trump Compares Himself to Nelson Mandela Amid Criminal Charges and Civil Trials

Amid multiple indictments and civil trials, Trump draws controversial analogy with South African anti-apartheid hero during New Hampshire campaign rally, further stoking criticism and division.

At a campaign rally in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump controversially compared himself to South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, drawing critical responses from the public and media outlets.
Trump made the comparison amid 91 criminal charges and multiple civil trials he currently faces, claiming that these are politically motivated, similar to Mandela's imprisonment for democratic activism during apartheid in South Africa.
The former president is notably being tried for alleged attempts to overturn a free and fair election, as well as other legal challenges, where even some of his former allies are set to testify against him.
While Mandela fought against apartheid and became a symbol of equality and democracy, Trump's actions since leaving office, such as perpetuating false claims about the 2020 election and making provocative statements, have been dubbed as far from 'statesmanlike'.
Returning to New Hampshire to register for the presidential primary, Trump vowed to build an Iron Dome-style missile defense shield over the U.S., criticized President Biden's response to the Hamas attack on Israel, and continued peddling anti-immigration rhetoric.