Donald Trump hints at revenge against Joe Biden on Fox News

Sean Hannity is proud. He and Donald Trump have known each other for 30 years, he reports. “We have a friendship and we have a professional relationship,” says the conservative Fox News host. As Hannity speaks these words, he is sitting across from the 45th and 47th presidents in the Oval Office. Trump chose Hannity to conduct his first interview of his second term. Two friends among themselves.

The President will receive his friend in the White House on Wednesday morning, the first 40 minutes will be broadcast on television at 9 p.m. in prime time, and it will continue on Thursday evening. Trump doesn’t have to fear critical questions from his friend Sean. The 78-year-old patiently listens to his interlocutor’s questions; he knows that this interview will not be a fight like he would expect from CNN or ABC, but rather an appointment in the category: feel good.

Perhaps it is this peaceful environment that puts the president in a talking mood. Of course, Trump praises himself as usual. Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel, inflation – none of this would have happened with him. So far, so known. But then it comes to the preemptive pardons that Joe Biden issued on his last day in office. And Trump makes statements that can be understood as a threat against his predecessor.

First, the President explains that when he temporarily left the White House over four years ago, he decided against preemptive pardons for family members and close allies – a statement that is true. “We had people who suffered. They put Bannon in prison,” says Trump. His former chief strategist Steve Bannon actually went to prison, not because of Biden or the Democrats, but because he ignored a congressional subpoena to testify before the January 6th investigative committee.

People like Bannon would never have accepted a pardon from him, Trump claims, even if he had offered it. And then it’s about Biden again. “This guy went around pardoning everyone. And the funny thing, maybe the sad thing, is that he didn’t pardon himself. And if you look at it, it had everything to do with him.”

Trump often loves clear language, but in certain situations he resorts to vagueness and hints. He doesn’t elaborate on why it might be “funny” or “sad” that Biden didn’t pardon himself. He doesn’t even have to. During the election campaign, he had repeatedly flirted with appointing a special prosecutor to put Biden and his family on trial. It is associations like these that the president makes use of with his statements.

Later, Hannity asks whether Trump thinks the future attorney general should investigate Biden’s pardons. The President first refers to his own proceedings against him. “I went through hell for four years. I spent millions of dollars in legal fees and won, but I did it the hard way,” Trump says. And finally: “It’s really hard to say that they shouldn’t go through all of this.”

Trump is not saying he will appoint his attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi, to take action against Biden. Instead, he ponders why “they” might have to go through this too. Trump is perhaps the most experienced president ever in dealing with television cameras. He knows exactly how his sentences will be interpreted and discussed afterwards.

On day one of his new presidency, Trump shocked everyone with the release of hundreds of criminals on January 6th and far-reaching decrees to end immigration and asylum to America.

On day two he had a skirmish with a bishop.

On day three he flirts with revenge and retaliation against Joe Biden.

It would be a surprise if things remained quiet on day four.