Donald Trump Says Two Impeachments Mean 'I Can Do Whatever I Want' as President

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he had held back from doing "very bad things" to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Barack Obama out of respect for the presidency. He then said that being impeached twice had left him free to "do whatever I want, if I want."

Trump was responding to a question from Fox News' Peter Doocy about the prospect of Democrats impeaching him if they win control of Congress in November. Democrats lead Republicans by 8.1 points on the generic congressional ballot in PolitiKool's polling average.

"I could have done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could have done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could have done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama," Trump said. "I thought it was inappropriate to do so because you have to treat the office of the presidency with respect."

"Then I found out that they impeached me twice, and I certainly, even to this moment, I have -- I can do whatever I want, if I want," he went on.

Trump did not say what the "very bad things" would have been, what he meant by "whatever I want," or whether he plans to do anything. He said his opponents had done "many illegal things" but gave no examples. He ended by saying, "I view the presidency as a very sacred position."

What Trump's Two Impeachments Amounted To

The House first impeached Trump on Dec. 18, 2019, over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Biden. The abuse-of-power article passed 230 to 197. On Feb. 5, 2020, the Senate acquitted him on that article. Only 48 senators voted guilty, well short of the 67 needed to convict.

The second impeachment came on Jan. 13, 2021, a week after the attack on the Capitol. The House charged him with incitement of insurrection by a vote of 232 to 197, with 10 Republicans voting yes. The Senate held the trial after he had left office. On Feb. 13, 2021, 57 senators voted to convict, 10 short of two-thirds.

What the Supreme Court Immunity Ruling Covers

Between his two terms, Trump won broad legal protection for official acts. In Trump v. United States, decided 6–3 on July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court held that a president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for acts within his core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for his other official acts. "The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

The ruling deals with criminal prosecution, not impeachment, which remains in the hands of Congress. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, joined by the court's two other liberal justices. She warned: "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

Trump's Record Toward His Opponents

Trump's claim of restraint follows years of promises to punish his rivals. In 2016, Trump said, "I will ask my attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor" on Clinton, and that "She has to go to jail." Clinton was never charged.

In his second term, the Justice Department indicted two prominent critics, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. On Nov. 24, 2025, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed both cases. She found that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney who brought them, had been unlawfully appointed.

The department appealed, and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on Sept. 15. At that hearing, Chief Judge Albert Diaz said: "Under your reading of the statute, a nefarious, ne'er-do-well executive could do exactly that."

What Happens Next

The appeals court has not yet ruled on whether the Comey and James cases can be revived. Whether a third impeachment is possible depends on the Nov. 3 midterms, which will decide control of the House.

Trump comes into that vote with 37.6 percent approval and 59.4 percent disapproval in PolitiKool's polling average.