For some, elective politics is an eternal bargaining of value systems meant to preserve the principles of a nation. For others, it’s simply a game of ever-shifting alliances. The latter was apparent in Donald Trump’s latest interview, where the president had some kind words for his perennial adversary Bill Clinton, saying that he’s always liked him and sharing how Clinton apparently believed nobody could beat Trump in an election.
Trump’s interview with Tom Llamas has gone viral on X for his tone-deaf response to the untimely deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. But there are other elements of the interview that have received far less attention, largely because they pale in comparison to the loss of two civilian lives. Trump extending an olive branch to the Clintons is not something to be taken lightly, however.
With the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, multiple members of the political elite have been exposed as, at the very least, tolerant of a convicted pedophile. Trump, in particular, has been posturing as the best pick for conservative and religious voters — people with their own set of values who would normally see the shielding of someone like Epstein as irredeemable. Trump and Clinton have both been implicated in maintaining a relationship with Epstein, but the two have taken vastly different paths in responding to the allegations. From the outside looking in, it seemed their relationship would be damaged beyond repair as a result.
According to Newsweek, Trump doesn’t see it that way. The president went on to reminisce fondly about their run-ins during the 2016 campaign, saying, “He was the one that said, very famously, that you don’t want to run against Trump.” It’s unlikely that the Clintons share this sentiment, considering he called Hillary Clinton a crook throughout the campaign and publicly suggested that he might consider getting her arrested if he were president at the time.
The Clintons currently have bigger fish to fry than concerning themselves with Trump’s latest flip-flop. Bill and Hillary recently reached an agreement with House Republicans to testify toward the end of February 2026. This came just in time, as Congress was reportedly considering a contempt vote to force the Clintons to testify about their relationship with Epstein. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify first on Feb. 26, followed by the former president on Feb. 27.
In the interview, Trump claimed that despite his reputation as a vindictive figure — one who, by his own account, tries to make examples of adversaries — he is not enjoying any of this. “It bothers me that somebody is going after Bill Clinton,” Trump said. “Actually, I like Bill Clinton. I like his behavior toward me.”
Trump has had a long and well-documented relationship with the Clintons. They attended many Trump family events before he entered politics. And if an Epstein email is to be believed, the two have shared private conversations the public will likely never know about.
It is quite curious, however, that Trump would choose to make peace right before a congressional hearing. The timing is, at the very least, suggestive.
