In a twist of irony, it has come to light that former President Donald Trump, who is now seeking to regain the White House in 2024 despite numerous criminal indictments, previously voiced strong opposition to electing candidates facing legal charges. Back then, Trump adamantly argued that individuals in such circumstances should be disqualified from assuming the role of commander-in-chief.
CNN’s KFile recently unearthed several instances in which Trump insisted that Hillary Clinton, the then-Democratic presidential nominee, should be prevented from seeking the presidency due to an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into her controversial use of a personal email server during her tenure as United States secretary of state.
For instance, during a November 3rd, 2016 event in Concord, North Carolina, Trump proclaimed that if Clinton were to win, it would lead to “an unprecedented constitutional crisis that would paralyze our government’s operations.”
Continuing his tirade, Trump suggested that Clinton would likely be subjected to investigations for an extended period and could potentially face a criminal trial. He stated, “I mean, you take a look. Who knows? But it certainly looks that way.”
Just two days later, at a rally in Reno, Nevada, on November 5th, 2016, Trump further expressed his concerns by stating that “we could very well end up with a president who is under indictment for a felony, leading to a full-fledged criminal trial and grinding the government to a halt.”
Later that day, in Denver, Colorado, Trump labeled Clinton, who was eventually cleared by the FBI, as the primary suspect in an extensive criminal investigation. He claimed that such circumstances would make it nearly impossible for her to effectively govern.
It is worth noting that, despite facing potential conviction, Trump, currently the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, cannot be disqualified from the presidency. Moreover, he asserted in June, during an interview with Politico, that he would not drop out of the presidential race even if convicted of the charges.
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