Former President Donald Trump on Saturday characterized warnings that his victory in 2024 would represent a threat to democracy as a 鈥渉oax鈥� and 鈥淒emocrat misinformation.鈥�

The former president, who faces federal and state charges stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, said in a speech hosted by the New York Young Republican Club that President Joe Biden 鈥渋s the real threat to democracy.鈥�

鈥淐an you believe it? This is their new line, you know,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淗ere we go again 鈥� 鈥楻ussia, Russia, Russia,鈥� 鈥楳ueller, Mueller, Mueller,鈥� 鈥楿kraine, Ukraine, Ukraine.鈥� One hoax after another.

鈥淏ut no, I鈥檓 not a threat. I will save democracy. The threat is Crooked Joe Biden,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what it is, it鈥檚 a hoax. We call it now the threat-to-democracy hoax, because that鈥檚 what it is.鈥�

The former president, who said last week that he wouldn鈥檛 be a dictator if reelected 鈥渆xcept for Day 1鈥� to address the border and domestic oil production, complained about how those remarks had been characterized, saying he never claimed he wanted to be a dictator.

鈥淚 said I want to be a dictator for one day,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd you know why I want to be a dictator? Because I want a wall 鈥� and I want to drill, drill, drill.鈥�

Trump said later that Democrats鈥� attacks regarding democracy were a 鈥渄esperate and shameless attempt to distract from the monstrous abuses of power the left is committing before your very eyes.鈥� He pointed to more than a dozen state-level petitions to remove him from the 2024 ballot, citing a clause of the Constitution鈥檚 14th Amendment barring those who have engaged in 鈥渋nsurrection or rebellion鈥� from office.

Biden and Democrats have warned that electing Trump again in 2024 could erode the foundations of American democracy. The president said at a fundraiser Saturday in Los Angeles that 鈥渢he greatest threat Trump poses is to the democracy.鈥�

Trump himself has talked about exacting 鈥渞etribution鈥� against political enemies if he wins in 2024, and his campaign has rolled out a series of policy proposals that would expand presidential authority over even nonpolitical levers of the federal government.

Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who lost her seat to a Trump-backed primary challenger last year after she participated in the House select committee that probed the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, said in a recent CBS interview that the nation would be 鈥渟leepwalking into a dictatorship鈥� if Trump wins next year.

Asked about Cheney鈥檚 warning, Trump told Fox鈥檚 Sean Hannity during a town hall last week that he wouldn鈥檛 be a dictator 鈥渆xcept for Day 1鈥� to address the border and domestic oil production.

Those remarks kicked off a flurry of criticism. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said during the party鈥檚 fourth primary debate that Trump was 鈥渁n angry, bitter man who now wants to be back as president because he wants to exact retribution on anyone who has disagreed with him.鈥�

Former Vice President Al Gore, a Democrat, also weighed in on Trump鈥檚 鈥渄ictator鈥� remarks during an interview with CNN鈥檚 Jake Tapper on Sunday. 鈥淚 saw the other day where he pledged to be a dictator on Day 1, and you kind of wonder what it鈥檒l take for people to believe him when he tells us who he is,鈥� he said on 鈥淪tate of the Union.鈥�

Trump on Saturday called Democrats 鈥渟ick people鈥� and said they 鈥渄on鈥檛 care about our country.鈥�

鈥淭hey think the threat-to-democracy hoax will save Biden from having created the worst inflation in our country鈥檚 history, a fragile economy that may soon end in a depression,鈥� the former president said.