Trump dismisses talk of revenge tour

Former President Trump in a Monday interview dismissed concerns that he would prioritize exacting revenge on his political foes over passing meaningful policy changes if he wins a second term in the White House.

In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Trump was asked to respond to comments from Home Depot CEO and GOP mega-donor Ken Langone, who said in a previous interview, “I worry if Trump wins that, it will be four years of getting even. And that’s scary because we’ve got serious issues coming up that need to be addressed.”

”Well, look, I’ve never been a fan of Ken,” Trump said, when asked to respond to Langone and to concerns there is “still anger and frustration that you have about certain issues.”

Trump then addressed the concerns more directly, saying the only revenge would be to enact successful policy.

“Frankly, you know, he’s right in one sense,” Trump said of Langone. “People think that there’s going to be revenge. And I say, no, the revenge is going to be success. It’s not going to be revenge in a revenge stance. It’s really going to be success. We’re going to turn our country around. We’re going to bring sense and common sense.”

He characterized the conservative policy positions he supports as “common sense” policies.

“You know, people say, ‘You’re conservative,'” Trump continued. “I’m not conservative. You know what I am? I’m a man of common sense, and a lot of conservative policies are common sense.”

Trump has repeatedly pledged to investigate President Biden and his family, after Trump became the subject of multiple investigations. Trump has been charged in four criminal indictments, totaling 91 felony charges across two federal cases and two state cases.

Trump has frequently pledged retribution, in remarks to his supporters, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, when he said, “I am your warrior, I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”