He wrote: “While Hillary said awful things about my supporters, and while many of her supporters will never vote for me, I still respect them all!”.
Advertisement
Hillary Clinton said Friday night in NY that half of Donald Trump’s supporters are racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic and/or Islamophobic.
She had been speaking at an LGBT event in New York Friday when she made the apparent gaffe.
Obama’s tweet was a response to Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” gaffe, in which he said almost half of Americans were so dependent on the government that they were likely to vote for Obama “no matter what”.
Clinton’s remarks were aired as she and Trump, her Republican rival and a NY native, visited the memorial to the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.
Moments later, Clinton issued a non-apology apology statement saying she “regrets” saying that about “half” of Trump’s supporters but stands by what she said about at least some of Trump’s supporters. In an interview with Israeli TV this week, Clinton said that Trump supporters are, “what I call the deplorables; you know, the racists and the, you know, the haters, and the people who are drawn because they think somehow he’s going to restore an America that no longer exists”.
Republicans have been quick to hit back at Clinton. In a Saturday speech to the Values Voters Summit of social conservative activists in Washington DC, which Trump addressed on Friday, Mike Pence condemned Clinton.
Other press said that Hillary’s campaign staff blocked reporters from leaving the media area and refused to tell them what happened to her.
He added that millions of Americans support the Republican nominee because, “they are sick of corrupt career politicians like Hillary Clinton”.
Clinton resolved to try to “bring our country together” and “make our economy work for everyone”. Candidates for president must be held accountable for what they say.
Clinton’s remark was similar to one she’s made recently on a topic she is eager to discuss, only this time, she added the word “half” – labeling millions of Americans as bigots.
But Clinton’s remarks got top billing on Twitter where the hashtag #BasketOfDeplorables was trending, with shows of condemnation and support for Clinton. “And their supporters appear to make up half his crowd when you observe the tone of his events”.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what”. McMullin referenced General Michael Flynn, and outspoken Trump supporter who has apparent ties to the network, as well as “other staffers”.
Speaking at a LGBT fundraiser in New York, Clinton said Trump had given voice to hateful rhetoric through his behavior as a candidate for the White House in the November 8 election.
“The comments need to be dissected and put into context”, said Symone Sanders, a Democratic strategist and former spokeswoman for Clinton’s primary opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The only thing that animates Hillary is hatred, she couldn’t resist one more chance to bash Trump.
Other Republicans mocked Mrs Clinton, sharing photos of the crowd in the Florida venue where Mr Trump spoke on Friday.
Polls tend to narrow as election day nears, and the Clinton campaign has struggled to overcome controversy about how she handled classified information while serving as secretary of state.
After Matt Lauer’s disastrous performance moderating NBC’s Commander-in-Chief forum last week, there is a lot of discussion about what role moderators should play in the upcoming – and far more critical – presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
“If I were to be grossly generalistic, I would say you can take Trump supporters and put them in two big baskets”, Clinton said. “I think the majority of folks are folks who feel locked out of opportunity and forgotten”.
Advertisement
She called that particular half of supporters “a basket of deplorables” that “Trump had lifted up”.
