‘I’m Not Going to Have Time for Retribution,’ Trump Says at Town Hall

Former President Donald J. Trump, who for months has expressed openness to retaliating against his political enemies if he returns to the White House and has vowed to have federal prosecutors investigate them, downplayed his interest in pursuing retribution at a televised town hall on Wednesday.

“I’m not going to have time for retribution,” Mr. Trump said at a Fox News town hall in Iowa. “We’re going to make this country so successful again. I’m not going to have time for retribution.”

Yet even as Mr. Trump seemingly shifted his stance on seeking political revenge, he did not dismiss the possibility outright, suggesting that many in the country would support his past remarks given how Democrats had behaved while he was in office.

“Well, first of all, a lot of people would say that that’s not so bad,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the idea of seeking retribution. “Look what they did.”

Mr. Trump’s hourlong town hall took place in Des Moines at the same time that his two closest rivals in the race, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, were debating on CNN.

As the two of them traded jabs in a bid to court voters and caucusgoers in early-nominating states, Mr. Trump showed signs that he remained focus on a general election matchup against President Biden.