By Hollie SilvermanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberPresident Donald Trump told NBC News' Tom Llamas on Wednesday that he believed former President Bill Clinton "understood" him.
"It bothers me that somebody is going after Bill Clinton. Actually, I like Bill Clinton," Trump said, before adding, "I like his behavior toward me."
Llamas interviewed the president on a number of subjects, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations, the upcoming midterm elections and who could be on the presidential ticket in 2028.
Why It Matters
Trump’s comments revived long-running questions about interactions between him and Bill Clinton ahead of the 2016 election and highlighted Trump’s ongoing efforts to frame his 2016 victory as forewarned inside Democratic circles.
The 2016 presidential election ended with Trump defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton.
Trump also said that Bill Clinton advised Democrats not to run against Trump, saying, "He was the one that said, very famously, that you don't want to run against Trump."
...What To Know
President Trump spoke with NBC's Llamas about a variety of things, including his relationship with Bill Clinton.
He said, despite the calls for locking up his wife, he didn't like that people were going after Bill Clinton.
"Actually, I like Bill Clinton," Trump said, to which Llamas responded, "What do you like about him?"
"I like his behavior toward me. I thought he understood me," the president replied.
He said that Bill Clinton had warned Hillary Clinton and the Democrats not to run against Trump.
According to Trump, Bill said, "Don't run against Trump," and suggested that Hillary Clinton "laughed" at the advice before running and losing.
Trump won the presidency in 2016, securing 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton’s 227, according to official Electoral College results.
The Clintons have reached an agreement with House Republicans on Tuesday to testify later this month in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, averting a potential contempt of Congress vote.
Under the agreement, Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on February 26, followed by Bill Clinton on February 27. It will be the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told Tom Llamas on NBC Wednesday that Bill Clinton warned his wife about running against him: "He said, Hillary, you know, whatever I know don't run against Trump... And, they ran against Trump. It didn't work out too well, did it?"
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether Bill or Hillary Clinton would comment on Trump’s characterization of the 2016 election advice.
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