Donald Trump has suggested that he is "perhaps the most honest human being" ever created, prompting laughter from his followers.
At a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday the former president defended himself from the multiple investigations probing his tax affairs and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
"'You know, you've been investigated years and years, millions and millions of pages of documents, they found nothing'," Mr Trump said, supposedly quoting private remarks from a friend. "'You are the cleanest on Earth when you think about it.'"
He continued: "I think I'm the most honest human being, perhaps, that God ever created." Amid laughter and cheers from his supporters, he added: "Perhaps."
The speech comes after state prosecutors in Democrat-controlled New York asked a court to hold Mr Trump in contempt for failing to hand over documents for a civil probe into his business dealings.
Separately, the congressional committee investigating the 6 January attack obtained text messages allegedly sent by Mr Trump's son Donald Jr to the president's chief of staff two days after election day with a detailed plan to "control" who emerged as the winner.
Meanwhile, the state prosecutor for Manhattan insisted his office's criminal investigation into Mr Trump's business is still ongoing after one official claimed in a resignation letter that there was "no doubt" the former president was "guilty of numerous felony violations".
At his rally on Saturday, according to Newsweek, Mr Trump said: "I've been investigated by the Democrats more than Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Al Capone combined. And in all cases I've been innocent."
Start your day in the know with The Independent's new US morning headlines newsletter. Find out more and sign up here.
