President Donald Trump drew criticism Wednesday after responding to a question about another possible impeachment by saying he could have done “very bad things” to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama.
The exchange took place in the Oval Office, where Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked about the president’s warnings that Democrats would impeach him if they regained control of Congress in the midterm elections. Trump argued that his opponents did not know what grounds they would use to pursue impeachment.
The president then shifted from the possibility of congressional action to his past political rivals. He said respect for the presidency had stopped him from taking action against them, before suggesting that he still had the ability to do so.
“I could have done very bad things to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and 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. Then, I found out them impeached me. Twice! To this moment, I can do whatever I want if I want. They’ve done some very bad things. It was just mentioned in the form of a question what they did, very illegal what they did.”
Trump did not specify what actions he meant by “very bad things.” His allegations about his opponents’ conduct were not accompanied by supporting evidence in the quoted remarks.
The response brought criticism from commentators who questioned both his language and his explanation that he had acted out of respect for the office.
“This is not a normal thing for a president to say,” lawyer Aaron Parnas posted on X.
Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall challenged the president’s claim that protecting the dignity of the presidency had guided his decisions.
“Is he being serious? Treat the office of the presidency with respect!? I don’t have enough characters to list all the things he’s done to disrespect the office,” Leslie Marshall, a Democratic strategist, posted on X.
Political commentator Joanna Carducci, who uses the name “JoJofromJerz” on social media, offered a shorter response.
“What the literal f—,” Joanna Carducci, a political commentator who goes by “JoJofromJerz” on social media, posted on X.
Author Jennifer Erin Valent also criticized the remarks, connecting them to her concerns about presidential power and the Supreme Court.
“This looks like a hostage video. Which I suppose is apropos considering our country is essentially being held hostage by this psychopath and his cowering minions, due in no small part to SCOTUS enabling him to boldly proclaim he can do whatever he wants,” Jennifer Erin Valent, an award-winning author, posted on X.
The exchange placed renewed attention on how the president describes his authority when discussing political opponents and the prospect of congressional scrutiny.