Former President Donald Trump said he believes he would have "every right" to use the justice system to go after his political enemies if he returns to the White House.


What You Need To Know

  • Former President Donald Trump said he believes he would have "every right" to use the justice system to go after his political enemies if he returns to the White House

  • But in the interview Wednesday with Fox News, Trump softened his position from a day earlier on whether he’d ultimately pursue retribution following his conviction in New York 

  • Trump’s remarks reflect a 180-degree swing from a day earlier, when he told Newsmax “it's very possible that it's [criminal prosecutions] are going to have to happen to” his political enemies under the next president, which he is running to be.

  • The Biden campaign said: “America saw Donald Trump consumed by rage and visibly rattled following his felony conviction; a man who has clearly snapped and whose candidacy is becoming more dangerous by the day"

But in the interview Wednesday night with Fox News, Trump softened his position from a day earlier on whether he’d ultimately pursue retribution following his conviction in New York last week on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up payments made to a porn star.

“Look, when this election is over, based on what they've done, I would have every right to go after them. And it's easy because it's Joe Biden,” Trump said before alleging the Biden family had committed several crimes, the same claims House Republicans have investigated and failed to prove.

But Trump indicated he would resist prosecuting his political foes.

“We can't let this happen,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said. “And I will do everything in my power not to let it.”

The Biden campaign said after the interview Trump has “clearly snapped.”

“America saw Donald Trump consumed by rage and visibly rattled following his felony conviction; a man who has clearly snapped and whose candidacy is becoming more dangerous by the day,” campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said. “Donald Trump is so consumed with personal grievance that he does not care who he hurts so long as Donald Trump benefits.”

Trump’s remarks reflect a 180-degree swing from a day earlier, when he told Newsmax “it's very possible that it's [criminal prosecutions] are going to have to happen to” his political enemies under the next president, which he is running to be.

“It's a terrible precedent for our country,” he told Newsmax. “Does that mean the next president does it to them? That's really the question.”

Trump claimed in the Fox interview, without evidence, there has been “tremendous criminality” in the criminal cases against him.

Asked if he would restore equal application of the laws and end what many Republicans call the political weaponization of the Justice Department, Trump answered: “You have to do it. But it's awful.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed the New York case is politically motivated. He and other Republicans have also baselessly alleged that Biden and his administration were behind the prosecution. Both Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland have insisted they had no involvement.

Biden has also denied having any input into the federal prosecutions of Trump in Miami and Washington, and Garland appointed a special counsel, Jack Smith, to independently run the investigations.