‘Where Did I Say That?’ Kristen Welker Has To Remind Trump About Threatening To ‘Go After’ Biden And Prosecute Him

President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News anchor Kristen Welker he didn’t remember saying he would “go after” President Joe Biden — so Welker produced the metaphorical receipt.

As President Joe Biden and many others have noted, Trump also made “retribution” a central theme of his campaign — and unyielding loyalty the central theme of his transition. Trump has nominated staunch loyalists Pam Bondi and Kash Patel to lead the Department of Justice and the FBI, respectively.

Trump sat for an exclusive interview that aired on Sunday morning’s edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, during which Welker asked Trump about the “retribution” he has publicly demanded for years, and specifically his promise to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” Biden:

KRISTEN WELKER: Ok. Let’s talk about some of your picks to fill out your administration. You named Kash Patel to be the next FBI director.

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah.

KRISTEN WELKER: He has a list in his book of 60 people that he calls members of the so-called “deep state.” It includes Democrats like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. It includes former members of your cabinet, from Bill Barr to Christopher Wray. You campaigned on destroying the deep state. Do you want Kash Patel to launch investigations into people on that list?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: No. I mean, he’s going to do what he thinks is right. And I will —

KRISTEN WELKER: Well, do you think that’s right?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: — and I will —

KRISTEN WELKER: Do you think that’s right, sir?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: If they think that somebody was dishonest or crooked or a corrupt politician, I think he probably has an obligation to do it, but —

KRISTEN WELKER: Are you going to direct him to do it?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: No. Not at all. Not at all. We have two great people that – we have him, and we have Pam. And Pam Bondi has been like a rocket ship. She’s very popular and very good and very fair. And Kash Patel is very fair. I’ll tell you. I thought Kash may be difficult because he’s, you know, a strong conservative voice, and I don’t know of anybody that’s not singing his praises. The other day, I was watching, and Trey Gowdy, who’s a moderate person and very smart and very respected in the party, he’s Kash’s biggest fan. He said, “This is the most misunderstood man in politics. He’s great.” I guess they worked together on the Russia hoax or something, and Trey Gowdy became a fan. Trey, you know, Trey Gowdy. Everybody respects him, and, you know, just like him, others also, I don’t know of one negative vote – I don’t think he’s going to have any negative votes.

KRISTEN WELKER: Is it your expectation, though, that Kash Patel will pursue investigations against your political enemies?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: No, I don’t think so.

KRISTEN WELKER: Do you want to see that happen?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: If they were crooked, if they did something wrong, if they have broken the law, probably. They went after me. You know, they went after me and I did nothing wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER: Well, let me ask you this. You said, President Biden, quote, that you’re going to appoint a real special prosecutor to go after Joe Biden. You said that during –

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Where did I say that?

KRISTEN WELKER: — the campaign

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Where?

KRISTEN WELKER: You said that on Truth Social, June 12, 2023: “I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States, Joe Biden –

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Well, that part is true.

KRISTEN WELKER: — and the entire Biden crime family.” Are you going to do that? Are you going to go after Joe Biden?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: I’m really looking to make our country successful. I’m not looking to go back into the past. I’m looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success. If we can make our success – this country successful, that would be my greatest, that would be such a great achievement. Bring it back. We have a country now that’s overridden with crime, that has millions of people that shouldn’t be here, that should be in prisons in other countries, that should be in mental institutions. We have drug lords being dropped into our country and told never go back to their country. I’m looking to make our country great. I’m looking to get – bring prices down. Because, you know, I won on two things, the border and more than immigration. You know, they like to say immigration, I break it down more to the border, but I won on the border, and I won on groceries. Very simple word, groceries. Like almost – you know, who uses the word? I started using the word – the groceries. When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time, and I won an election based on that. We’re going to bring those prices way down.

Watch above via NBC’s Meet the Press.