Hillary Clinton said Saturday that she regretted describing “half” of Republican Donald Trump’s supporters as “a basket of deplorables” in remarks at a fundraiser.
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But, she added, it is “deplorable that Mr Trump has built his campaign largely on prejudice and paranoia and given a national platform to hateful views and voices, including by retweeting fringe bigots with a few dozen followers and spreading their message to 11 million people”. “Right? Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it”, she said at the NY event.
“And unfortunately there are people like that”. The Post argues the only thing Clinton’s comment could do is make some Trump supporters take a hard look at some of their fellows and come away less enthusiastic about their candidate.
Speaking at an evening fundraiser in NY, the former US secretary of state said Trump had given voice to hateful rhetoric from such individuals through his behavior as a candidate for the White House.
Some of those were irredeemable, she said, but they did not represent America.
While Mrs Clinton is taking heat for her comment, Mr Trump’s brand is controversy.
“One day after promising to be aspirational & uplifting, Hillary insults millions of Americans”, Conway said on social media. “I also meant what I said last night about empathy, and the very real challenges we face as a country where so many people have been left out and left behind”, the statement said.
Clinton’s comment could help Trump, said Republican strategist Doug Heye. “It sounds out of touch and condescending. trying to explain away Trump’s supporters to a NY money crowd”.
“Obviously not everyone supporting Trump is part of the alt right, but alt right leaders are with Trump”, he said on Twitter.
On Saturday, Clinton walked back from those comments.
Clinton’s campaign found itself explaining the remark after her speech, while Trump’s campaign attempted to capitalize on what it considered a major gaffe.
“The other basket … that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they’re just desperate for change”, she said.
The Republican vice-presidential nominee said: “The men and women who support Donald Trump’s campaign are hardworking Americans …”
Clinton made the remarks at the LGBT For Hillary Gala at the uber posh Cipriani Wall Street restaurant.
Comments about voters – especially at private fundraisers – have tripped up presidential hopefuls in the past. The analysis considers preference polling, recent electoral history, demographic trends and campaign priorities such as advertising, travel and on-the-ground staff.
Trump spoke at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis Saturday, where he said that Schlafly is looking down on those gathered, telling them to “keep up the fight”.
Trump lost no time in denouncing the clarification.
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Associated Press writer Steve Peoples contributed from St. Louis.
