Donald Trump's recent conversations with talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw and conservative broadcast host Sean Hannity ring warning bells as he seems open to exacting vengeance on those involved in his prosecution if he takes Office.
Knewz.com has learned that the former president considers the idea of revenge "justified" and "tempting" under certain circumstances.
In his interview earlier in June, Dr. Phil discussed Trump's felony conviction and asked Trump if he would say that revenge "is a race to the bottom and it stops here," after suggesting to the former President that seeking retaliation might harm the country.
While Trump said that he sees the merit in foregoing his grudge against the prosecutors, he added in the interview that "Revenge can be justified, though, I have to be honest, sometimes it can."
"We have to unite the country, we have to save the country, but that [not exacting vengeance] is not really saving the country. There are people who did some bad things and I know who they are."
Trump also invoked the example of Hillary Clinton and said, "How would it be if I win and I lock Hillary Clinton up?... The former President's wife, I lock her up. And how would it be if I took the Secretary of State... and threw her into a prison? I think it must be terrible, and yet now they're trying to do that with me."
Trump has always been vocal about his "weaponization of the Department of Justice" rhetoric, and in an interview with Univision back in November 2023, he said that the "weaponization" could happen in "reverse."
"It could certainly happen in reverse. What they've done is they've released the genie out of the box... If I happen to be president and I see somebody who's doing well and beating me very badly, I say go down and indict them. Mostly what that would be, you know, they would be out of business. They'd be out they'd be out of the election."
Trump also justified his need to exact revenge on his "persecutors" for going after him in a recent interview with Fox News host Hannity, where he said, "When this election is over, based on what they've done, I would have every right to go after them."
"What happened to me has never happened in this country before, and it has to stop... I have been under siege, no one has ever seen anything like this in this country."
A previous Newsweek report cited a post by the former president on the social media handle Truth Social in June 2023, where he expressed his desire to appoint a special prosecutor to target President Joe Biden and "the entire Biden crime family."
"Now that the 'seal' is broken, in addition to closing the border & removing all of the 'criminal' elements that have illegally invaded our country, making America energy independent & even dominant again, & immediately ending the war between Russia & Ukraine, I will appoint a real special 'prosecutor' to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself," the post read.
On the other hand, former Trump adviser Steven Bannon has echoed Trump's call to ensure "accountability," as he singled out Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Special Counsel Jack Smith in his prosecution "hit list."
"We’re coming after Lisa Monaco, Merrick Garland, the senior members of DOJ that are prosecuting President Trump," he said in a clip broadcasted on Alex Witt Reports on MSNBC, per Media ITE.
"And this is not about vengeance. This is not about revenge. This is not about retribution. This is about saving this republic! We’re gonna use the Constitution and the rule of law to go after you and hold you accountable."
Host Alex Witt asked former United States Attorney Joyce Vance to weigh in on Bannon's statement, and she said: "So, for somebody who says it’s not about revenge or vengeance, he seems to contradict himself pretty quickly."
"The career ranks at DOJ, the people who do their jobs day in and day out and are committed to the Constitution, those folks aren’t legitimate targets for retribution. And I think it’s chilling to hear what’s going on here. This is payback for Donald Trump being held accountable," she added.