Trump Says Revenge ‘Can Be Justified’ In Latest Threat To Political Enemies

Former President Donald Trump reiterated his calls to punish his political enemies in a new interview that aired Thursday, saying “revenge can be justified” following his conviction on all counts during his hush money trial last week.

Trump spoke at length about his criminal indictments and his competing campaign for the presidency with Dr. Phil McGraw. At one point, McGraw said that if Trump returns to the White House, he would likely have “so much to do” to repair the country he wouldn’t “have time to get even.”

“Well, revenge does take time,” Trump replied. “And sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil. I have to be honest. Sometimes it can.”

The former president was convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records to cover up allegations of an affair from porn star Stormy Daniels, the first time an American president has been found guilty in a criminal trial. Trump has responded to the verdict with fury, fundraising more than $141 million in May alone. Many of his Republican allies in Congress have balked at the jury’s findings, vowing to stand by the presumptive GOP nominee while attacking the justice system.

Trump, who remains under a gag order before his July 11 sentencing, has already mulled jailing some of his critics.

“Look, when this election is over, based on what they’ve done, I would have every right to go after them,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity this week, noting that it would be “wrong” to do so, but he would be justified if he did. “And it’s easy, because it’s Joe Biden and you see all the criminality, all of the money that’s going into the family and him.”

McGraw on Thursday went on to address Trump’s recent hush money trial in Manhattan, saying he was glad the former president didn’t