President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he could have done “very bad things” to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, but claimed he chose not to because of his respect for the presidency.
Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office event promoting children’s investment accounts. He was responding to a question about what Democrats might try to impeach him for if they regain control of Congress in the November elections.
Referencing his two previous impeachments, Trump said, “I can do whatever I want, if I want.” He then said he had rejected suggestions to take action against Clinton, Biden and Obama, without specifying what actions he was referring to.
Trump framed his decision as restraint, saying he did not want to use presidential power against political opponents because of his respect for the office.
The comments come as control of Congress becomes a central issue ahead of the midterm elections. If Democrats win control of either chamber, they would gain greater authority to investigate the administration and could pursue impeachment proceedings if they believed grounds existed.
Trump’s comments did not identify any specific alleged wrongdoing by Clinton, Biden or Obama, nor did he explain what he meant by “very bad things.”
The remarks are likely to draw renewed attention to the boundaries of presidential power and Trump’s longstanding clashes with his political opponents.
