Trump, speaking Thursday to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, added: “I don’t think the people of the United States would support it.” Hewitt, who is also a Washington Post columnist, then noted that critics would describe the comment as incitement to violence and called on Trump to respond to the allegation. “This is not incitement – I’m just saying what I think. I don’t think the people of this country would support that,” Trump said. When pressed by Hewitt, Trump said he thought there would be “big problems. Big problems.” Federal agents conducted a court-authorized search of Trump’s club and residence on Aug. 8 as part of a long-running investigation into whether government documents — some of which are classified — were being stored at Mar-a-Lago instead of being returned to the National Archives. . The FBI investigation is the latest legal pressure on Trump, who is now facing increasing scrutiny as the criminal investigation intensifies. The investigation is looking into whether he or his former aides took classified government documents and stored them improperly or never returned them. Trump’s lawyer argued that the former president cooperated with federal authorities and that many of the documents were covered by executive privilege. In January 2021, the House impeached Trump on a single count of “inciting sedition” for his role in whipping a crowd of his supporters to stop Congress from counting the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden. A crowd of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to stop the count, an attack that left five dead and dozens of law enforcement officers injured. Trump’s comments on Thursday came hours before officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Homeland Security briefed Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee about threats against federal officials. After the briefing, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of that committee, called Trump’s rhetoric dangerous. “Inviting the mob back into the streets is exactly what happened here on January 6, 2021,” Durbin told reporters. After noting that five people died as a result of the attack and that 149 law enforcement officers were injured that day, the senator said Trump’s “reckless and inflammatory rhetoric has consequences.” In the interview with Hewitt, Trump also said he would “not be barred from running” for office if he is indicted. “He wouldn’t take you out of the arena,” Hewitt said, trying to clarify the former president’s position. Trump replied: “It wouldn’t be.” In 1920, socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for president from prison, where he was serving time at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for speaking out against the draft during World War I. Debs and his running mate, Emil Seidel, collected 913,693 votes, but as in his previous campaigns — no electoral votes. Trump’s warning of trouble echoes Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.), who told Fox News last month that there would be “riots in the street” if Trump is impeached. Trump appeared to support the idea, sharing a link to a video of Graham’s comments on his Truth Social platform.
