During a press conference on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump expressed hope that former presidential rival Hillary Clinton would eventually face investigation regarding election fraud. This comment came just before his departure for New Jersey, when a reporter asked, “Will Hillary Clinton be investigated in the end for election fraud?” Trump replied, “I hope so, I hope so. I don’t know if that will happen, but I hope so.”
In a brief exchange with the media outside the White House, Trump also took aim at Erica Mantelfer, the recently resigned Director of Labor Statistics, whom he had fired after she accused him of tampering with employment figures. He linked her resignation to prior election disputes.
Regarding tariffs, Trump stated that they’ve been a point of contention, attributing some of the economic challenges to the pandemic and a “fighting madman.” He questioned the credibility of employment statistics released close to the election, suggesting they were manipulated to benefit Kamala Harris, indicating skepticism about their accuracy.
Speaking candidly to a reporter, Trump remarked, “Who won, John? I won, so it didn’t work.” His remarks about Clinton have been a recurring theme since his initial presidential campaign, during which he famously said she would “be in prison” if he were in charge.
Despite his bold claims, Trump never indicted Clinton when he was president. In July, National Intelligence Director Tarshi Gabbard revealed that she had evidence suggesting the Obama administration was behind what she termed the “unnatural tale” of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Gabbard claimed that the Obama national security team deliberately produced misleading intelligence assessments.
“There’s evidence showing President Obama and his team directed the creation of this false narrative,” Gabbard stated. “We will continue to refer all these documents to the Department of Justice and the FBI for further investigation.” She emphasized that documentation pointed to Obama’s direct involvement in generating this information.
In an interview earlier in July, Trump characterized the allegations against Obama and his administration concerning Russia as “serious treason.” He argued, “What they did is very bad for this country, and it really started with the 2016 election. The evidence is all there, in the orders and the notes.”
