‘I shouldn’t feel this way’: Trump surprises everyone with what he said about The Clintons having to testify

President Trump surprised many people this week when he talked about former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton having to testify in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. He called the whole situation “a shame.”

Many expected Trump to use strong words because of his long political rivalry with the Clintons. Instead, he was surprisingly calm and even showed sympathy. While talking to reporters after signing a bill in the Oval Office, Trump said he felt bad about what the Clintons are going through.

Trump shared his honest thoughts about the political couple. According to The Hill, he said he “always liked him,” talking about former President Clinton. About Hillary Clinton, he gave real praise, saying she is “a very capable woman who’s better at debating than some of the other people, I’ll tell you that. She was smarter, smart woman.” These compliments are unusual coming from a rival, especially with the serious investigation the Clintons now face.

Trump’s unexpected sympathy shows how difficult legal battles can be

The president clearly felt uncomfortable about the situation, saying, “I hate to see it in many ways.” He pointed out that his political opponents “went after me. They wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life and it turned out I was innocent.” 

This led to his most surprising comment about his longtime rivals. He said, “I shouldn’t feel this way but I feel badly that they have to go through that.” Trump sees this legal process as a difficult and unfortunate experience, no matter who faces it.

The Clintons agreed to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday. This happened just as the House was ready to vote on holding them in contempt of Congress for ignoring a congressional subpoena. The threat of a contempt vote likely pushed them to agree quickly. Trump has been active in dealing with conservative opposition to government funding recently.

The depositions are now scheduled. House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) confirmed that Hillary Clinton will testify on February 26. Bill Clinton will appear the next day, on February 27. The agreement says the depositions will be both filmed and written down.

There was some disagreement about how the depositions would work. The Clintons’ lawyers sent a letter to Chair Comer on Tuesday saying that video recording was a “new stipulation” added that morning, after the couple had already agreed to the original terms.

The lawyers worried about fairness and suggested an open hearing instead of a private, filmed deposition. They argued that if the proceedings were open, “Their answers, and your questions, can be seen by all to be judged accordingly.” This suggests the Clintons’ team is worried about selective editing or leaked footage, and they want the public to see everything in real-time. Meanwhile, the president has also been using his pardon powers controversially in other cases.