Donald Trump and the Clintons: Old friends, but new foes?
Despite weeks of brassy squabbles, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were former friends. In a 2008 blog post, Trump wrote, 'I know Hillary and I think she鈥檇 make a great president.'
Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump addresses an audience during a campaign event Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, in Nashua, N.H.
Steven Senne/Associated Press
Before their nasty, ongoing feud, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton had a long history of cordial relations.
In the latest proof of this unlikely friendship, Buzzfeed reporter Andrew Kaczynski dug up an old blog post penned by the GOP frontrunner on March 13, 2008, during the height of the Democratic primaries.
鈥淗illary Clinton said she鈥檇 consider naming Barack Obama as her vice-president when she gets the nomination, but she鈥檚 nowhere near a shoo-in,鈥� Mr. Trump , describing a hypothetical 鈥淒ream Ticket鈥� for the 2008 election.
鈥淔or his part, Obama said he鈥檚 just focused on winning the nomination, although at least one member of his team said Clinton would make a good vice-president. (I know Hillary and I think she鈥檇 make a great president or vice-president.)鈥�
The unearthing of this old blog post coincides with escalating hostility between the candidates. On, Trump turned his attention to Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to campaign for his wife next week in New Hampshire.
鈥淲ell, if you look at the different situations; of course, we can name many of them. I can get you a list and I'll have it sent to your office in two seconds,鈥� Trump said on the show. 鈥淏ut there were certainly , and you look at whether it's Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones or many of them.鈥�
Trump claimed the former president has a 鈥渉istory of abuse鈥� with women, citing Ms. Lewinsky, the former intern with whom Clinton had an affair while in the White House, and Ms. Jones, a former Arkansas state employee who sued Clinton for sexual harassment.
Last week, the businessman had more to say about Clinton herself, using a to describe her loss in 2008 and calling her bathroom break during the latest debate 鈥渄isgusting.鈥�
"I know where she went, it's disgusting, I don't want to talk about it," he said, criticizing Ms. Clinton for being late to the debate floor after a commercial break. "No, it's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting, let's not talk, we want to be very, very straight up."
In that same debate, Clinton called Trump a 鈥渞ecruitment tool鈥� for ISIS. When Trump demanded an apology, he received
"Hell no. Hillary Clinton will not be apologizing to Donald Trump for correctly pointing out how his hateful rhetoric only helps ISIS recruit more terrorists," Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said.
But for years before their current political squabbles, Clinton and Trump supported each other personally and professionally. In 2005, Clinton, then a Democratic Senator from New York, of Trump鈥檚 wedding in Palm Beach, Fla. Her husband missed the ceremony but attended the black-tie reception later.
Contribution records for the list Donald J. Trump as having given between $100,000 and $250,000 to the charitable organization, and in 2007, the apparently magnanimous candidate told Wolf Blitzer that Hillary Clinton is
鈥淚 know her very well,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very talented. And she has a husband that I also like very much. I think she鈥檚 going to get the nomination rather easily.鈥�
But Trump does not stand behind these statements now. On the Today show Tuesday, as the intent behind his previous praise for the Clintons.
"As a businessman, I had to get along with everybody, and I鈥檒l be able to do that as president. I鈥檒l be able to bring people together," he told Today host Savannah Guthrie, "when I needed approvals, when I needed something from Washington, I always got what I wanted, and that鈥檚 because I was able to get along with everybody."