Trump Says He Could Still Pursue Criminal Cases Against the Clintons and Obama
In a Newsmax interview aired Thursday, President Trump said he holds information about Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and could still "go after them criminally," but signaled he would likely not act unless Democrats impeach him a third time.
President Donald Trump said he still has the option to pursue criminal investigations against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and former President Barack Obama, but suggested he would probably not act unless Democrats try to impeach him a third time.
Trump made the remarks in an interview Thursday with Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on “Finnerty.” He claimed his administration holds damaging information about the three Democrats, all prominent figures from his years in politics.
“I could have done numbers in Hillary Clinton. I could have done numbers in Bill Clinton. I do like Bill Clinton. I could have done numbers in Barack Hussein Obama. Still could. I still could,” Trump said.
Pressed by Finnerty on what he meant, Trump replied: “I could do big numbers if I wanted to. I’ve turned down going after Hillary Clinton. Big numbers. I’m talking about going after them criminally.”
A warning tied to impeachment
Trump also said he could damage the reputations of Clinton, Obama and former President Joe Biden.
“I could have done something having to do with their reputations, destroyed their reputations,” Trump said. “We have a lot of information about Hillary. We have a lot of information about Barack Hussein Obama. We have a lot of information on Sleepy Joe Biden.”
Trump did not say what information he claimed to hold, and he did not identify any specific criminal charges. Asked by Finnerty whether he intended to act on it, Trump said, “Well, I mean, I guess not. Probably not. But I think if they impeach me again, you know, again.” Finnerty responded, “Things could get ugly.”
The comments came as Democrats seek to retake the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said last month that Democrats had neither ruled out nor committed to pursuing impeachment, while House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has said impeachment is not a top priority for the party.
Trump was impeached twice during his first administration and acquitted both times by the Senate. He questioned what grounds Democrats could use for a third effort, saying, “The only thing they can impeach me for is making our country really strong.”
He made similar remarks during an Oval Office event on Oct. 7, saying he had refrained from pursuing his political opponents out of respect for the presidency. The comments followed weeks of legal pressure on his political adversaries, including his earlier move in which he asked the Supreme Court to revive a dismissed 2016 election lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.
Trump calls polls rigged
Later in the interview, Trump accused major polling organizations of deliberately manipulating surveys, without providing evidence. “No, they’re rigged. They’re rigged polls,” he said. “In some cases, they have me leading by so much that people aren’t going to vote. And in some cases, they have me losing.”
He said he planned to campaign twice in Michigan before Election Day and was considering appearances in Minnesota, saying, “What I’m trying to do is be on the ticket, essentially. I mean, I’m running like I’m on the ticket.”
Reporting based on coverage by Newsmax.
