US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after saying he could have done “very bad things” to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday, October 7, during an Oval Office event promoting his “Trump Accounts” programme for children. He was responding to a question about his claim that Democrats could seek to impeach him if they regain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Turning his response toward his political opponents, Trump said he could have taken unspecified actions against Clinton, Biden and Obama but claimed he deliberately refrained because of his respect for the office of the presidency.
“I could’ve done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could’ve done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could’ve done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump said.
“I thought it was inappropriate to do so because you have to treat the office of the presidency with respect,” he added.
Trump then referred to the two impeachment proceedings he faced during his first presidency and made the statement that has drawn particular attention.
“Then I found out that they impeached me twice and I certainly, to this moment, I can do whatever I want, if I want. They’ve done some very bad things,” he said.
Trump also said that people had previously encouraged him to “go get” his political opponents, but claimed he rejected such suggestions because he considered the presidency a “sacred position.”
“I’ve had plenty of people say, ‘Let’s go get them.’ And I said no, you can’t do that to the presidency,” Trump said.
The president did not specify what he meant by “very bad things,” leaving the nature of the actions he was referring to unclear.
His comments have nevertheless generated concern because they came while discussing the possibility of a future impeachment battle and involved three of his most prominent Democratic political opponents.
Trump was impeached twice during his first presidency. The first impeachment, in 2019, followed allegations involving his dealings with Ukraine and efforts to have the country investigate Joe Biden. The second, in 2021, followed the January 6 Capitol attack. He was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions and remained in office during the first proceeding before completing his term in January 2021.
The comments also came amid renewed political discussion about what could happen if Democrats regain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has predicted that Democrats would move quickly to impeach Trump if they take control of the House, while Democratic leaders have been more cautious about committing to such a move.
Trump’s latest remarks have consequently added another layer to an already heated political confrontation ahead of the midterms.
While the president presented his comments as evidence that he had exercised restraint toward former political rivals, his statement that he can “do whatever I want” has drawn scrutiny over the limits of presidential power and the responsibility of a sitting president when dealing with political opponents.
There is no indication from the remarks that Trump announced any specific action against Clinton, Biden or Obama. The comments were made in the context of his broader criticism of Democrats and his discussion of his two previous impeachments.
The statement has nonetheless quickly become a major talking point in the US political debate, particularly because Trump named three former Democratic leaders and linked his restraint to what he described as respect for the presidency.
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