Trump: ‘I don’t want to hurt the Clintons’ over private email server

Donald Trump doesn’t feel “very strongly” about prosecuting Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server, he told The New York Times in a Tuesday meeting, adding the former secretary of State has already “suffered greatly.” 

In a broad-ranging sit-down with New York Times reporters, the president-elect indicated he would not pursue charges against his former Democratic rival. 

“I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways.”

— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016

Asked if he has ruled out prosecuting Clinton, Trump said: “It’s just not something that I feel strongly about.” 

While Trump embraced his supporters’ chants of “lock her up” during his campaign rallies, he said he doesn’t “think they will be disappointed” in his decision.  

Trump on disappointing his supporters re Clinton: “I don’t think they will be disappointed…” 1/2

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016

2/2 “I think I will explain it that we in many ways will save our country.”

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016

Top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday morning that perhaps Trump’s decision not to prosecute Clinton will “help her heal.” 

“I think Hillary Clinton still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don’t find her to be honest or trustworthy,” she said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

 “But if Donald Trump can help her heal then perhaps that’s a good thing.”

Trump said in his interview that the issue has been looked at “ad nauseum” and it’s time for the country to move forward.

"My inclination would be for whatever power I have on the matter is to say let's go forward.This has been looked at for so long, ad nauseum"

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016

Trump routinely attacked Clinton during the campaign over her use of a private email server. 

He promised to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue the investigations, arguing that President Obama and the Clintons had used their influence to shape the Justice Department’s investigation.