President Donald Trump said he is “upset” that former President Bill Clinton faces scrutiny and an order to testify about his past ties to late child sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, with whom Trump also had an infamous relationship.

“It bothers me that someone is going after Bill Clinton. Look, I like Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton,” Trump told NBC News in an interview at the White House on Wednesday.

When asked what he likes about the former president, Trump responded: “I liked his behavior toward me. I thought he understood me, that he understood me.”

Donald Trump is seen with his then-girlfriend, Melania, and future convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and future convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.
Donald Trump is seen with his then-girlfriend, Melania, and future convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and future convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.

Photography by Davidoff Studios via Getty Images

This expressed support came a day after Trump called it “shameful” that Clinton and his wife, Hillary, have been subpoenaed to testify about their ties to Epstein.

Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein was documented in investigative files released by the Justice Department last week. The files include a shirtless photo of Clinton in a hot tub with someone a Justice Department official described as a “victim” of Epstein’s sexual abuse. He has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge that Epstein was abusing underage girls.

Trump, who also faces unverified allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors in the documents and has denied any wrongdoing, said it is time to “put the Epstein files behind us” and expressed support for the Clintons. This about-face comes after Trump infamously called for the former Secretary of State to be locked up during and long after his vitriolic 2016 presidential campaign battle.

“I think it’s a shame, to be honest. I always liked her. Her? Yes, she’s a very capable woman. She was better at debates than some other people, I can tell you that,” he told reporters Tuesday. “She was smarter. She’s a smart woman. I hate to see it in a lot of ways. I hate to see it, but then look at me, they went after me like… you know, they wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life. Then it turned out I was innocent.”

Some Democrats have promised that Trump will also testify about his ties to Epstein if they regain control of Congress.