The news that FBI Director James Comey plans to reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server shows her corruption is "on a scale that we have never seen before," and Americans "must not let her take her criminal schemes into the Oval Office," GOP nominee Donald Trump declared to a wildly cheering audience in New Hampshire Friday.
"I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the Department of Justice are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made," Trump said while announcing the news.
"This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understood, and it is everybody's hope that it is about to be corrected."
Shortly before the speech, House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, broke the news through his Twitter account, saying Comey had informed him that he'd be reopening the investigation because of the "existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation."
In his letter to key Republicans chairing House committees, Comey said he could not "predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work."
"I think they are going to right the ship, folks," said Trump. "I think they are going to right the ship and save their great reputation by doing so."
And after railing about Obamacare for a few minutes, and telling the crowd that "repealing Obamacare is one of the important reasons to win on Nov. 8," real change means getting rid of Washington's corruption, and "maybe that is happening."
"The news this morning is, this is bigger than Watergate," Trump said. "This is bigger than Watergate in my opinion. This is bigger than Watergate. Hillary Clinton bleached and depleted 33,000 emails after receiving a congressional subpoena.
"That to me, there were more serious things done. But how does it get much more [worse]? . . . She lied to Congress, she lied to the FBI, she made 13 phones disappear, some with a hammer. They gave more than $625,000 to the wife of the deputy director of the FBI and the man overseeing the investigation."
But with the investigation reopening, "right now that takes care of itself, I think," Trump said. "I'm very proud the FBI was willing to do this, really."
Trump pointed out that on Thursday, news broke about Bill Clinton's close confidante, Doug Band, talking about "Bill Clinton Inc.," as he dubbed the plan in a 12-page document that was written in 2011, while Band's private consulting firm, Teneo, was raising millions of dollars for the Clinton Foundation and at the same time seeking out paid speech gigs for the former president.
According to The Washington Post, Band wrote that Teneo had brought in more than $8 million for the foundation, but it also brought in another $3 million for Bill Clinton himself. Further, Band said he'd secure contracts that would pay Clinton $66 million over the next nine years, should the deals he made remain.
"He explained the relationship between his consulting firm, the foundation and Clinton's personal income helped Bill and Hillary enrich themselves and gain services, including hospitality, vacations and the like," Trump said Friday. "The same people paying him for speeches were [lobbying] Hillary Clinton at the same time. These people are seriously corrupt."
He also accused his Democratic rival for the White House of participating in pay-for-play schemes that included defense contracts.
"When the contractor wanted big foreign arms deals, they raised hundreds of thousands for her last campaign and are raising money for her current campaign," Trump said.
Trump also pointed out that there are reports that Qatar also offered $1 million to Bill Clinton for his birthday in exchange for a "few minutes of face time."
"They got billions in contracts and Hillary Clinton got her campaign cash and money for her foundation," said Trump. "And you know, I'm putting up tremendous amounts — today I wrote another check for $10 million. I'm spending money like crazy.
"I'll probably have close to $100 million of my own money for the campaign. We're doing what's right for you, not what's right for some contributor or special interest."
Clinton, said Trump, "put the office for the secretary of state up for sale, and if she got the chance, she would put the office, and know what one — the Oval Office, up for sale, too. I propose a contract with the American voter which will end the corruption and give government back to our great people."