President Donald Trump says his administration possesses information about prominent Democratic figures that he has declined to use, but suggested another impeachment attempt following the November midterm elections could change his approach.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

President Donald Trump warned Thursday that another impeachment effort by congressional Democrats could prompt him to reconsider pursuing damaging information about Hillary Clinton and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, claiming he has previously declined opportunities to seek criminal investigations of prominent political opponents.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Newsmax, Trump said he possessed substantial information concerning several Democratic figures but had chosen not to pursue actions against them. His comments came less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when Democrats will attempt to regain control of Congress and potentially reopen impeachment proceedings.

“I could have done numbers in Hillary Clinton. I could have done numbers in Bill Clinton. I do like Bill Clinton. I could have done numbers in Barack Hussein Obama. Still could. I still could,” Trump said.

“I could do big numbers if I wanted to. I’ve turned down going after Hillary Clinton. Big numbers. I’m talking about going after them criminally.”

The president went further, suggesting that the information available to his administration could affect the public standing of his political adversaries.

“I could have done something having to do with their reputations, destroyed their reputations,” he said. “We have a lot of information about Hillary. We have a lot of information about Barack Hussein Obama. We have a lot of information on Sleepy Joe Biden.”

Trump did not disclose the nature of the information, identify potential criminal violations or provide evidence establishing wrongdoing by any of the individuals he named. His remarks also did not indicate that federal prosecutors had initiated new criminal proceedings against Clinton, Obama or Biden.

During the interview on Newsmax’s “Finnerty” program, host Rob Finnerty asked whether Trump intended to act on the information. The president initially suggested that he did not plan to pursue the matter but left open the possibility of reconsidering if Democrats sought to remove him from office.

“Well, I mean, I guess not. Probably not. But I think if they impeach me again, you know, again,” Trump responded.

“Things could get ugly,” Finnerty interjected.

The exchange renewed questions about how Trump might respond if Democrats secure a congressional majority and pursue investigations into his administration. Although impeachment requires approval by a simple majority in the House of Representatives, conviction and removal from office require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Trump’s comments followed similar statements during an Oct. 7 White House event, when he indicated that he had refrained from pursuing certain political opponents because of his respect for the presidency.

The latest remarks came as Democratic congressional leaders continued outlining their priorities should the party regain control of the House. While some Democrats have advocated renewed impeachment proceedings, the party’s leadership has not committed to making another impeachment effort part of its legislative agenda.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., addressed the issue during a September television interview, explaining that Democrats would evaluate potential misconduct through congressional investigations rather than immediately committing to impeachment.

“No, we haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out in terms of impeachment,” Jeffries said when asked whether a Democratic majority would begin proceedings immediately. He emphasized that lawmakers should examine evidence and apply constitutional standards before determining whether further action is warranted.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has similarly indicated that impeachment is not among the party’s leading priorities. Democratic leaders have instead emphasized government oversight, economic concerns and legislative proposals addressing household expenses and health care.

Those positions leave the possibility of impeachment unresolved, although Democrats would first need sufficient support in the House to advance articles against the president.

Trump questioned what grounds lawmakers could establish for another attempt to remove him, defending his administration’s performance and portraying the prospect of renewed proceedings as politically motivated.

“The only thing they can impeach me for is making our country really strong,” Trump said.

The president has already faced two impeachments, both during his first administration. The Democratic-controlled House impeached him in December 2019 over allegations that he abused presidential authority and obstructed Congress in connection with U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him in February 2020.

His second impeachment followed the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, with the House charging him with incitement of insurrection. The Senate acquitted him the following month after a majority voted to convict, but the tally fell short of the two-thirds threshold required for conviction.

Trump argued that the previous proceedings had failed to produce the political consequences Democrats anticipated and suggested that another impeachment attempt could similarly strengthen support for him.

“And I [have] become good at anti-impeachment. I call it the anti-impeachment movement,” he said.

The president’s warning also coincided with his expanding campaign schedule on behalf of Republican candidates. Trump said he was devoting considerable attention to congressional contests because Republican turnout has historically been less reliable when his name is absent from the ballot.

“What I’m trying to do is be on the ticket, essentially. I mean, I’m running like I’m on the ticket,” he said.

He described his campaign appearances as an effort to encourage supporters who regularly vote for him in presidential elections to participate in congressional races, where turnout patterns can differ substantially.

Trump also accused major polling organizations of manipulating survey results in ways that could discourage participation among Republican voters, although he offered no evidence substantiating deliberate interference.

“No, they’re rigged. They’re rigged polls,” he said.

“In some cases, they have me leading by so much that people aren’t going to vote. And in some cases, they have me losing.”

Polling estimates can vary because of differences in methodology, sampling, weighting and voter turnout assumptions. Such differences do not, by themselves, establish that survey organizations are intentionally manipulating results.

Trump said he planned to visit Michigan twice before Election Day and was considering additional campaign appearances in Minnesota. His participation reflects the administration’s efforts to retain Republican control of Congress as Democrats compete for seats in both chambers.

The president’s comments about potential investigations of political opponents introduce another issue into the final weeks of the campaign. While Trump maintains that he has refrained from taking action against Clinton, Obama and Biden, his statements did not establish that the unspecified information would support criminal charges.

Any federal prosecution would require investigators and prosecutors to establish a legal basis for pursuing a case, independent of political disagreements or congressional impeachment proceedings.

For now, Democratic leaders have left their impeachment options open without announcing a formal effort, while Trump has indicated that a third attempt to remove him could prompt a different response toward his longtime political adversaries.

With the midterm elections approaching, the president is seeking to preserve Republican majorities in Congress while signaling that the political and legal disputes surrounding his administration could intensify if Democrats gain control of the House.

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