Former President Donald Trump reiterated his calls to punish his political enemies in a new interview that aired Thursday, saying “revenge can be justified” following his conviction on all counts during his hush money trial last week.
Trump spoke at length about his criminal indictments and his competing campaign for the presidency with Dr. Phil McGraw. At one point, McGraw said that if Trump returns to the White House, he would likely have “so much to do” to repair the country he wouldn’t “have time to get even.”
“Well, revenge does take time,” Trump replied. “And sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil. I have to be honest. Sometimes it can.”
The former president was convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records to cover up allegations of an affair from porn star Stormy Daniels, the first time an American president has been found guilty in a criminal trial. Trump has responded to the verdict with fury, fundraising more than $141 million in May alone. Many of his Republican allies in Congress have balked at the jury’s findings, vowing to stand by the presumptive GOP nominee while attacking the justice system.
Trump, who remains under a gag order before his July 11 sentencing, has already mulled jailing some of his critics.
“Look, when this election is over, based on what they’ve done, I would have every right to go after them,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity this week, noting that it would be “wrong” to do so, but he would be justified if he did. “And it’s easy, because it’s Joe Biden and you see all the criminality, all of the money that’s going into the family and him.”
McGraw on Thursday went on to address Trump’s recent hush money trial in Manhattan, saying he was glad the former president didn’t testify in his defense. Trump repeatedly said he wanted to take the stand, but backed down from those claims before the verdict.
“I would throw myself in front of your car to keep you from testifying,” McGraw told the former president.
“I would have loved to have testified about those things, but he wouldn’t have allowed me to answer the questions properly,” Trump replied about the prosecutors in the case. “I’m telling you, they had to hold me back.”
Trump on Thursday also attacked writer E. Jean Carroll once more with similar statements central to her defamation case where he had to pay an additional $83.3 million.
“How about I get prosecuted from a person, I have no idea who she is, I have to pay $91 million,” Trump told McGraw. “And that judge was just as bad, just as corrupt. I have to pay $91 million to a woman I have no idea who she is.”
“That case is a disaster, but I have no idea who she is.”
Carroll’s attorney has said she remains open to another suit if necessary and “all options are on the table.”