Hours after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts in a New York court, former US President tore into successor Joe Biden, saying that the “country is going to hell” and that the “world is laughing at us”.

The 76-year-old, who has been accused of falsifying business records, was addressing his supporters and the media from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home.

“I never thought anything like this could happen in America — never thought it could happen,” he said, adding “the only crime that I’ve committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it”.

“It’s an insult to our country,” he added