President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he made a “very risky decision” in deciding to run in the 2024 presidential election, adding that he would have had “a very nasty life” had he lost that race.
In an appearance before a Saudi Arabian-backed summit in Miami Beach, Florida, Trump claimed his decision to pursue another term in office involved “a certain amount of courage,” as he went on to once again claim he is the most mistreated president in U.S. history.
“Nobody was treated like me, nobody,” he said.
Still, Trump said that being the U.S. president is the “most exciting job in the world.”
Trump added that he would have had a miserable life had he lost to Vice President Kamala Harris in November, appearing to recognize the serious nature of the federal criminal cases against him, which were dismissed following his election victory.
“I had to make a big decision and it was a very risky decision because if I would have lost my life would have have been a much different life, it would have been a very nasty life, they were going after me at levels that nobody’s ever seen before,” he said.
Jack Smith, the special counsel who was appointed by former Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee Trump’s 2020 federal election interference case and his prosecution over this alleged mishandling of classified documents, moved to wind down both cases after Trump won as Justice Department policy prohibits criminally prosecuting sitting presidents. Smith resigned ahead of Trump’s return to office.
Trump still faces charges over seeking to undo the 2020 election result in Georgia, but the future of that case remains uncertain.
Last year, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. But he ultimately just received a sentence of unconditional discharge.
