President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Friday that Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama — everyone involved — should "pay a price" for their role in the alleged Russiagate hoax, calling it one of the "great scandals" in our nation's history.
Trump made the comments in an exclusive interview with "Finnerty" host Rob Finnerty on Friday at the White House.
Trump's wide-ranging interview came the day after Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, released newly declassified sections of former special counsel John Durham's report that suggested Clinton's campaign may have been involved in a plan to link Trump to Russian election interference.
Further, Trump said, Obama could almost be called the "mastermind" of the hoax.
"[Obama] knew about it. We have it cold. [Durham] has it in writing. You could almost say that he was almost more of the mastermind. He heard what she was doing, and then he approved it — and not only approved it, he approved it and pushed it. And they knew it was fake. They knew the Russia thing was fake," Trump said.
The 24-page "Durham annex" presents a portrait of what Trump said "could be the biggest scandal in the history of our country."
"I think they should pay a price. By the way, it's a very big price," Trump told Finnerty, adding later, "For that to have gone on, it's one of the great scandals, I think, in the history of our country. I know it is."
However, Trump said he will not tip the scales on the decision to indict Clinton, Obama, or anyone else.
"Well, it's up to [Attorney General] Pam Bondi, who's doing a terrific job. And she'll have to work with law enforcement to see what she wants to do. And I'm not giving her advice one way or the other," Trump said. "But what came out over the last few days is incredible."
Trump said he let Clinton slide after the 2016 election over her use of a private email server and mishandling of classified documents during her time as secretary of state.
"I had her right under the sights, and I told the people, 'Look, you can't do this to a president's wife, an ex-president,'" Trump said. "And I let Hillary off the hook. I totally left her off the hook. ... And then I come in, and they did the same thing to me. The difference is they actually meant it. And they hurt a lot of people, a lot of people. And it was all a hoax. And now they have it in black and white."
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.