During a lively podcast episode released on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton couldn’t help but burst into laughter when asked about former President Donald Trump’s federal indictment on 37 counts related to mishandling classified documents. In the same vein, Trump didn’t shy away from mentioning his longtime rival, accusing her of “acid-washing” her emails and even alleging that she stole furniture and china from the White House. The exchange took place as Trump mounted a public defense of the documents case from Bedminster.
Clinton made her remarks during a taping of the Pod Save America podcast, where she was gifted a t-shirt by the hosts, former Obama and Clinton staffers, bearing the words, “Totally Impartial Potential Juror,” in jest of the possibility of her serving on a Trump jury. With a boisterous laugh, Clinton expressed her reaction to Trump’s second indictment of the year, stating, “I have a lot of reactions to it. And I think the best reaction publicly is, you know, let’s see it unfold and let’s see what happens.”
She proceeded to critique Trump’s Republican supporters for standing by him, predicting that he would become the party’s nominee for the 2024 election. However, she also expressed confidence in Democratic President Joe Biden’s strong position to run against him. Clinton marveled at how many Republicans highlighted the FBI’s decision not to press charges against her regarding the classified information found on her private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State.
Recalling the impact of then-FBI Director James Comey’s announcement on her 2016 presidential campaign, Clinton blamed his interference for her surprising loss, even though she was cleared by the FBI a second time before Election Day. Frustrated by the Republicans’ sole focus on her past controversies, Clinton criticized their refusal to engage with the facts presented in Trump’s indictment and emphasized that the case was centered around him.
On the other side, Trump had announced his impending indictment in the federal classified documents case, and throughout the weekend, loyal Republican supporters stood firmly by his side. Clinton found it profoundly disturbing how the opportunity to hold Trump accountable instead led to unwavering defense from his party, describing their loyalty as more of a cult than a political party.
Discussing President Biden’s first two years in office, Clinton praised his remarkable accomplishments but believed he didn’t receive adequate recognition because he focused on diligently working for the American people rather than being a performer. She expressed confidence in Biden’s potential for success in the 2024 election by highlighting the contrast between his achievements and Trump’s actions, urging other Democrats and concerned Americans to ask hard questions.
Meanwhile, Trump made waves in Miami, motorcading to and from the courthouse, visiting a popular Cuban restaurant, and ultimately headlining a fundraiser and delivering a speech at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey. It was during this event that Trump launched into a blistering attack on Clinton, seeking to portray the charges against him as politically motivated. He falsely accused her of “acid-washing” her emails and even claimed that she had taken furniture and china from the White House without facing prosecution.
Trump’s statements, while inflammatory, relied on misrepresentations, as Clinton’s team had used a program called BleachBit to delete emails from her server. As for the furniture and china accusations, they were presented without evidence, creating a rhetorical scenario where Trump speculated on the consequences if he had engaged in similar actions.
As the political drama unfolded, both Clinton and Trump continued to exchange jabs, their animosity fueled by the ongoing legal proceedings and their contrasting narratives surrounding classified documents and personal conduct.