When Donald Trump Praised Hillary Clinton

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses supporters during a political rally at the Phoenix Convention Center on July 11, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Charlie Leight—Getty Images

By Zeke J Miller

July 17, 2015 12:50 PM EDT

Republican presidential candidate and reality television star Donald Trump has been deeply critical of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as he has embarked on his campaign, but it wasn’t always so.

The real estate magnate has a long history of delivering admiring comments about the woman he now calls the “worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States,” and a “desperate” and “sad” candidate.

When Clinton last ran for office, Trump was torn between supporting her and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. ” They’re both terrific people, and I hope they both get the nomination,” he told CNN in 2007, adding that he thought Clinton would surround herself with good people to negotiate a deal with Iran. A year later, Trump wondered publicly why Clinton wasn’t chosen as President Obama’s running-mate.

In 2012, as Obama was running for re-election, Trump called Clinton “terrific” again in an interview with Fox News, saying she performed well as Secretary of State.

“Hillary Clinton I think is a terrific woman,” he told Greta Van Susteren. “I am biased because I have known her for years. I live in New York. She lives in New York. I really like her and her husband both a lot. I think she really works hard. And I think, again, she’s given an agenda, it is not all of her, but I think she really works hard and I think she does a good job. I like her.

And on Fox and Friends on Wednesday, Trump explained why he donated to Clinton’s campaigns.

“I’m a businessman. I contribute to everybody,” Trump said. “When I needed Hillary, she was there. If I say ‘go to my wedding,’ they go to my wedding.”