Watch Trump lavish praise on the Clintons in 2008

If this 2008 clip of Donald Trump gushing over Hillary Clinton's huge potential is any indication, not even he knew he'd someday be trying to convince American voters she'd be a "disaster" for the country. During an interview with NY1 eight years ago, Trump said Clinton was "going to go down" in history "at a minimum as a great senator," but he had an inkling "her history [was] far from being over." "I think she is a great wife to a president and I think Bill Clinton was a great president. You know, you look at the country then, the economy was doing great," Trump said, going on to call the then-New York senator "a great woman."
Perhaps even more surprising was Trump's sadness at how Clinton was "roughed up" in the 2008 election. "I'm not knocking the other side — you know, you want to win a battle so if it gets a little bit nasty, it is politics, and politics is a tough game. But I thought she was perhaps unnecessarily roughed up," Trump said.
Which begs the question: What would 2008 Trump have to say about someone calling Clinton a "nasty woman"? Catch a glimpse of the Trump that was, below. Becca Stanek
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies
Speed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats