President Trump said this week that he is troubled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation involving former President Bill Clinton, which is connected to the committee’s broader probe into government handling of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an interview aired Wednesday on NBC Nightly News, Trump expressed personal discomfort with the investigation’s focus on Clinton. “It bothers me that somebody’s going after Bill Clinton,” Trump told anchor Tom Llamas. “See, I like Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton.”
Trump went on to describe his past interactions with the former president in favorable terms. “I liked his behavior toward me. I thought he got me, he understood me,” he said. He also referenced a well-known remark Clinton made during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, saying Clinton was “the one who said very famously ‘you don’t want to run against Trump when there were 18 people.’” Trump added that Hillary Clinton “sort of laughed at him,” referring to the former secretary of state and his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election.
The comments come as both Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as part of its Epstein-related investigation. According to a statement from House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear on Feb. 26, followed by Bill Clinton on Feb. 27. Both appearances will take place as filmed and transcribed depositions.
Trump reiterated his concerns about the situation during a press gathering Tuesday following a bill signing in the Oval Office, speaking to The Hill. He described the investigation as “a shame” and again emphasized his personal regard for the former president.
“I always liked him,” Trump said. He also commented on Hillary Clinton, saying, “She’s a very capable woman who’s better at debating than some of the other people, I’ll tell you that. She was smarter, smart woman.”
Despite those remarks, Trump framed his reaction in the context of his own experiences with investigations. “I hate to see it in many ways,” he said. “But then I look at me. They went after me. They wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life and it turned out I was innocent,” referring to past inquiries into his own conduct.
Trump concluded by acknowledging mixed feelings about the matter. “I shouldn’t feel this way but I feel badly that they have to go through that,” he said.
