President Donald Trump said Thursday he possesses criminal information about Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and former President Joe Biden and could still use it against them, warning that a third impeachment attempt by Democrats would change his previous decision to refrain from pursuing his political adversaries.
“I could have done numbers on Hillary Clinton. I could have done numbers on Bill Clinton. I do like Bill Clinton. I could have done numbers on Barack Hussein Obama. Still could, I still could, I could do big numbers if I wanted to,” Trump said in an interview on Newsmax’s Finnerty programme.
The Threat
Trump said he deliberately chose not to act on the information he possesses. “I turned down going after Hillary Clinton. I’m talking about going after them criminally, or I could have done something having to do with their reputations, destroyed their reputations. 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,” he said.
When asked whether he intended to act on the information, Trump replied: “Well, I mean, I guess not. Probably not. But I think if they impeach me again, you know, again.” When host Rob Finnerty interjected that things could get ugly, Trump did not dispute the characterization.
He did not specify what information he possessed or identify any potential criminal charges against Clinton, Obama, or Biden. Trump made similar remarks during an Oval Office event on October 7, saying he had refrained from pursuing his political opponents out of respect for the presidency.
The Impeachment Context
The renewed warning comes as Democrats seek to regain control of the House and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said last month that Democrats had neither ruled out nor committed to pursuing impeachment. House Democrat Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar has said impeachment is not a top priority for his party.
Trump, who was impeached twice during his first administration and acquitted both times by the Senate, questioned what grounds Democrats could use to pursue a third impeachment. “The only thing they can impeach me for is making our country really strong,” he said.
The Campaign Trail
Earlier in the interview, Trump said he was campaigning aggressively for Republican candidates because his supporters historically turn out in smaller numbers when he is not on the ballot. “What I’m trying to do is be on the ticket, essentially. I mean, I’m running like I’m on the ticket,” he said.
Trump also accused major polling organizations of deliberately manipulating surveys to discourage Republican voters from participating in elections, without providing evidence. “No, they’re rigged. They’re rigged polls,” he said.
The Bottom Line
President Trump has threatened to pursue criminal action against Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden if Democrats attempt to impeach him again. He claims to possess damaging information about all three but says he has refrained from using it out of respect for the presidency. The warning comes as Democrats seek to regain Congress in the November 3 midterms. Trump did not specify what information he holds or what charges he might pursue.
My Opinion
This is not a policy proposal. It is a threat. The president of the United States just went on television and said he has criminal information about three of his political opponents and might use it if Democrats impeach him again. That is not how a democracy works. That is how an authoritarian talks.
Trump says he held back “out of respect for the presidency.” But respect for the presidency is not something you invoke while threatening to prosecute your predecessors. It is something you demonstrate by not making those threats in the first place. If he has evidence of crimes, he should refer it to the Justice Department and let the legal process play out. If he does not, he should stop pretending he does.
