Eight years later, some find it easy to forget some of the more ridiculous elements of the 2016 presidential campaign. For example, young voters may not understand the absurdity of the political world obsessing over Hillary Clinton’s email server protocols for months, as if this were one of the most important issues on earth.
The then-Democratic candidate even faced a criminal investigation, which ended with a predictable whimper but was only revised once early voting got underway in much of the country.
It was around this time that Donald Trump made some rather bold statements about his rival.
Just days after then-FBI Director James Comey announced he had reopened the Clinton investigation, the future Republican president told an audience in Nevada:
The same week, Trump told an audience in North Carolina:
He added that Clinton would have done so, given the circumstances “no right to flee” for the highest office in the land. It was around the time Trump added, referring to the former Secretary of State: “[S]he must not run away.”
Trump in 2016: “She shouldn’t be allowed to run… If she wins, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president charged with a felony and ultimately face a criminal trial. It would bring the government to a standstill.” pic.twitter.com/tVr6nUIAdh
– Republican voters against Trump (@AccountableGOP) May 31, 2024
Three days before Election Day 2016, the Republican continued to insist that Clinton was “the prime suspect in a far-reaching criminal investigation,” which in turn would make it “virtually impossible for her to govern.”
In context, the strategy behind the rhetoric certainly made sense. In 2016, the idea struck many voters as bizarre. An American presidential candidate under a legal cloud? Are you being investigated for crimes? Facing the prospect of criminal charges? How could voters take a risk by putting a suspected criminal in the White House? How can such a person ever expect to be effective while in office?
Eight years later, the politician who forcefully raised such questions is the same politician who was found guilty of 34 crimes – and that number continues to rise as he still faces three other criminal charges.
According to Trump’s own reasoning, his candidacy creates “an unprecedented constitutional crisis,” and he has “no right to run for office.” I wonder how he would respond if asked about his previous standards?
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
