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Hillary Clintongave her first interview since the shocking November election, and divulged her thoughts on President Donald Trump’s administration, Russia and more during the sit-down with New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof at the Women in the World Summit, held in NYC Thursday, April 6.
From Yale Law School to the White House! Take a look back at Bill and Hillary Clinton's life through the years - including daughter Chelsea Clinton's wedding, the former First Lady's 2015 presidential campaign, and more!
Here are the eight most important and thought-provoking statements Clinton made during her comeback interview:
1. She’s doing just fine.
“I’m doing pretty well, all things considered. The aftermath of the election was so devastating and everything that has come to light,” she said. “I think I’ll take off my person hat and put on my citizen hat, and there’s a lot to be concerned about.”
2. She blames “misogyny” in part for her election loss.
“Certainly, misogyny played a role. And that just has to be admitted, and why and what the underlying reasons for that is what I’m trying to figure out myself,” she told Kristof. “I think in this election there was a very real struggle between what is viewed as change that is welcomed and exciting to so many Americans, and change which is worrisome and threatening to so many others. You layer on the first woman president over that, and I think some people, women included, had big problems.”
3. It was “somewhat gratifying” that Trump’s health care plan didn’t pass.
“I will confess to this—having listened to them talk about repeal and replace for seven years now, they had not a clue what that meant. They had no idea,” she said. “I don’t know that any of them had ever even read the bill, read the law, understood how it worked. It was so obvious. Health care is complicated, right? They don’t know what to do, and I do admit that was somewhat gratifying.”
4. She thinks Trump’s all-male photo ops must be a joke.
“All of the men sitting around the table deciding how they were going to defund Planned Parenthood, end maternity care and access to contraception ― looking at that picture, you just think it’s got to be from a skit on Saturday Night Live,” she said. Clinton added that she thinks right-wing men who question why they pay for maternity care need a wake-up call: “The things that come out of some of these men’s mouths ― like why do we have to cover maternity care? Oh, I don’t know, maybe you were dropped by immaculate conception?”
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5. Russia’s election interference was bigger than she realized.
“I didn’t fully understand how impactful that was,” she said. “It is something that Putin has used inside Russia, outside Russia to great effect. I’m hopeful that the Congress will pull together and realize that because of the success the Kremlin feels it’s had, they’re not going to go away. So whatever party you are, whatever business you run, whatever concerns you have, if we don’t take action together to hold whoever was involved accountable, they will be back time and time again.”
6. She’s furious about the legislation passed in Trump’s first 100 days.
The former secretary of state especially took issue with the travel ban. “I don’t understand the commitment to hurt so many people that this administration, this White House, seems to be pursuing. There are so many examples in just the first 100 days,” she said. “The ban on people coming into our country — and, yes, it was aimed at originally seven, now six, countries, but it really sent a chilling effect across the world. And not just to Muslims but to all kinds of people, who are saying to themselves, Wait, what happened, don’t you still have Lady Liberty in the New York Harbor?”
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7. She won’t run for office again.
“I have no plans at all other than trying to find some interesting things to do, trying to support other people to pursue their interests, spend time with my grandchildren, which is a great joy. I’m not making plans to do anything,” she admitted. “I am looking at doing interesting things, and I don’t think that will ever include running for office again, as interesting as I find that to be.”
8. She revealed her favorite meme!
She mistakenly called it a GIF, but close enough! “My favorite GIF on the Internet is the dogs sitting around the table, saying, ‘Next, let’s discuss feline health,’” she said.
