On Wednesday, President Trump remarked that he would have endured a “very nasty life” had he lost the presidential election, an acknowledgment that his legal troubles could have greatly affected his life and potentially led to incarceration.
“If I lost, it would have been very bad,” Mr. Trump stated at an investment conference in Miami Beach. “It was dangerous, actually very dangerous.”
Following Mr. Trump’s victory in November, the Justice Department dropped two federal cases against him, and a Manhattan judge granted an unconditional discharge in his hush money case.
His comments reflected a sentiment that advisers had suggested was in his mind during the campaign. Yet, throughout 2024, he did not openly recognize that he was campaigning not only for the presidency but also for his freedom.
The president made these remarks while responding to a question about how he would utilize a year of sabbatical. Although he did not directly reply to the question, expressing his honor in being president, he noted that it required “a certain amount of courage” to run again due to the personal stakes involved.
He also indicated disagreement with historians who characterize Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated, as the two most wronged presidents in U.S. history.
“Nobody was treated like me,” he asserted. “Nobody, and I will tell you, you learn a lot about yourself, but there’s nothing I’d rather do.”
Throughout the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump faced numerous criminal charges across four distinct cases. Jack Smith, serving as a special counsel, charged him in two separate cases: one connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and another involving his management of classified documents post-presidency. Although a Trump-appointed judge dismissed the documents case, Mr. Smith’s team has appealed that decision.
Additionally, he confronted charges in Georgia regarding efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and was found guilty on all counts in the New York hush-money case, where he could potentially serve up to four years in prison.
Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.
