Trump in 1998: Clinton "Should have Taken 5th Amendment" Because of Republicans were "After Him"
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| Donald Trump shaking hands with Bill Clinton at Trump Tower in June, 2000; Photo by Ralph Alswang |
Taking about the political fallout surrounding President Clinton's statements during a deposition in January, 1998, in which Mr. Clinton denied any "sexual relations" with Monica Lewinsky, and his subsequent admission in August that he had lied, Trump lambasted the President and his advisers.
"I would have done something certainly different than what they did," Trump stated. "I mean, that all started it. Paula Jones is a loser."
He continues, referring to President Clinton, "Well, I think his little speech after it was a disaster. It wasn't the right tone. And I'm not sure he should have done it.
"And I'm not sure he shouldn't have just gone in and taken the Fifth Amendment and said, 'Look, I don't get along with this man, Starr, he's after me, he's a Republican."
Trump then adds, "He's this, he's that, you know, and just taken the Fifth Amendment. It's a terrible thing for the President to take the Fifth Amendment, but he probably should have done it."
The comments, which appear in newly resurfaced discovered by Memorandum Daily, stand in stark contrast with recent comments from President Trump, in which he claimed it was Democrats who have created an impeachment witch hunt about his contact with Ukraine's President.
At the time of these comments, Mr. Trump was a Republican. The next year he would change his party affiliation to an Independent, before changing it again in 2001 to Democrat. He then became a Republican in 2009, an Independent in 2011, and then a Republican again in 2012.
"There have been so many miscalculations," Trump concluded to Matthews, "and he's had such bad advice. It's just been so badly handled."
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