“White” was the first negative characteristic Hillary Clinton listed in a criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Sunday-published interview with CBS’ Jane Pauley:
What they’re looking at is a white authoritarian leader who has murdered journalists and his political enemies, who runs a regime of repression, who makes aggressive moves against neighboring countries, who considers himself an adversary to us: the United States of America.
Putin opposed Clinton’s self-described advocacy for “democracy” and the “rule of law,” said Clinton, pushing the narrative of Putin preferring Donald Trump over her during last year’s presidential election:
Make no mistake about it, there was something that was personal toward me, in part because as Secretary of State, I had stood up to him and had stated very clearly that we believe in democracy, we believe in the rule of law, and, you know, that all annoyed him. We also supported the aspirations of people for greater independence and freedom in places like Ukraine, that certainly annoyed him.
Watch Clinton’s comments below.
President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was a “cry from the white nationalist gut,” said Clinton.
Clinton blamed racism among whites – and their alleged “resentment” of “gains” made by non-whites – as a driver of Trump’s electoral victory. Partial transcript below:
CLINTON: He was quite successful in referencing a nostalgia that would give hope, comfort, settle grievances for millions of people who were upset about gains that were made by others.
PAULEY: What you’re saing is millions white people.
CLINTON: Millions of white people. Yeah. Millions of white people.
“How are you?” was Pauley’s first question for Clinton; it was not asked in an informal or ceremonial manner. Clinton said she had not considered the possibility of Trump being elected president on the eve of the election.
“I felt this… loss of feeling and direction and sadness,” said Clinton of how she felt after November 8th of last year, “It was a very hard transition. I really struggled. I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t feel.”
Watch the entire interview here.
Simon and Shuster published Clinton’s latest book “What Happened”; it is owned by CBS.
Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter.