Former President Donald Trump made a striking comparison between himself and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela during a rally held in New Hampshire on Monday. Trump, who was registering for the state's presidential primary, painted himself as a victim of political targeting by federal and state prosecutors. He addressed a crowd of supporters, passionately denouncing the current administration's response to the recent Hamas attack on Israel and vowing to establish a missile defense shield comparable to Israel's Iron Dome.

While Trump touched on various topics during his speech, it was his remarks about the ongoing criminal and civil cases against him that garnered attention. Drawing parallels to Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa's apartheid system, Trump proclaimed, "I don't mind being Nelson Mandela because I'm doing it for a reason." He continued, characterizing his opponents as "fascists" and "lunatics" who are wreaking havoc on the country.

Facing four criminal indictments and civil trials, Trump is accused of various misdeeds, including inflating his worth, mishandling hush money payments, attempting to overturn the 2020 election, and hoarding classified documents. Nevertheless, Trump passionately urged his supporters to vote for him, stating, "Vote for Trump and solve your problems."

The former president became the first person who has served as president to file for the New Hampshire primary in person more than once. Candidates have until October 27th to officially sign up, and numerous contenders are anticipated to do so. Trump previously won the 2016 and 2020 Republican primaries in New Hampshire but lost in the general elections.

Trump's return to filing in person marked a departure from tradition, as he had sent Vice President Mike Pence to file on his behalf in 2020. Emphasizing his current lead in New Hampshire polls, Trump also took note of a drop in support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Expanding on his criticism of President Biden's response to the Hamas attack, Trump called the speech given by Biden a "grotesque betrayal of Israel" and criticized the president for linking the threats from Hamas and Russia. Trump also promised that if reelected, he would order the construction of an advanced missile defense shield capable of intercepting missiles from China, Russia, and Iran.

In recent weeks, Trump has returned to his anti-immigration rhetoric, advocating for an expanded Muslim travel ban and stricter immigration tests. He warned of potential threats at the southern border and read aloud the lyrics of the song "The Snake," a metaphor he has used to highlight his concerns about illegal immigration.

Democrats in New Hampshire responded to Trump's rally by criticizing his divisive stance and expressing confidence that state voters would reject him if he becomes the GOP nominee. U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan stated, "We are the Live Free or Die State: We have no use for a man who would overturn our elections or praise dictators. I know that as Granite Staters and Americans, we will reject Trump and we will win next November."

Overall, Trump's rally in New Hampshire encompassed a range of topics, with him drawing attention to his legal battles, slamming Biden's foreign policy, and promising bold actions if he were to return to the White House. As the filing period continues, it remains to be seen how many candidates will join the race for the New Hampshire primary.