Trump: I don’t want to hurt Clinton, she has really suffered

Donald Trump, president-elect of the US, says he does not intend prosecuting Hillary Clinton, his rival in the presidential election.

The billionaire businessman said this while fielding questions from New York Times.

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

Earlier, Kellyanne Conway, his spokeswoman, told MSNBC that he will not pursue a further investigation into Clinton’s emails.

“When the president-elect… tells you before he’s even inaugurated he doesn’t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message – tone and content,” she said.

“And I think Hillary Clinton still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don’t find her to be honest or trustworthy, but if Donald Trump can help her heal, then perhaps that’s a good thing.”

This is a stunning departure from the campaign rhetoric. Trump had said he would appoint a special prosecutor to look into the former secretary of state.

According to a New York Times reporter, Trump opened the discussion with the newspaper with a list of grievances about the coverage of him, “though he couched it in terms of wanting to improve the relationship”.

“I have great respect for The New York Times,” he reportedly said. “I have tremendous respect. I think I’ve been treated very rough.”