    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [May 28, 1996]
    [Page 823]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Verdict in the McDougal-Tucker Trial and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    May 28, 1996

        The President. I'd like to make a brief statement about the jury
    verdict in Arkansas today. First of all, the jury has completed its
    work, and they obviously worked for quite a long time and debated this
    thoroughly and tried to make a good decision. So I think we should all
    accept that.
        Obviously, on a personal level, I'm very sorry for Governor Tucker
    and Jim and Susan McDougal. But the jury has decided. I was asked to
    give testimony; I did that. And for me, it's time to go back to work.
    That's what I intend to do.
        Q. Do you think Governor Tucker should resign?
        The President. I don't want to comment on that. I think those
    questions have to be resolved by the people involved and in terms of
    what their other options are. I don't want to comment on that.
        I just think that this is a day for saying that these jurors worked
    a long time; they were out for an extended period of time; they reached
    their verdict. And as I said, for me it's more of a personal thing
    today. I'm very sorry for them personally. But I did what I was asked to
    do, and now I've got to go back to work. That's what I intend to do.
        Q. Sir, do you think this is a repudiation of your statements?
        Q. Did the jurors not believe you, sir? Did the jurors not believe
    you?
        The President. You ought to ask them that. I doubt that; I doubt
    that that's what was going on. But you ought to ask them. I don't know.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:20 p.m. on the North Driveway at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to trial codefendants Gov. Jim
    Guy Tucker of Arkansas and James and Susan McDougal. A tape was not
    available for verification of the content of these remarks.