On Thursday, Hillary Clinton received the trailblazer award from The Center, a LGBT Community Center, in New York City. Clinton spoke at the event and warned the audience that the Donald Trump administration could undo years of progress. “But I think we have to face the fact that we may not ever be able to count on this administration to lead on LGBT issues. Let’s remember, 2018, the midterm elections … We can never stop fighting,” Clinton said. She spoke about the anti-LGBT actions in Chechnya and the proposed cuts to funding for HIV and AIDS research. She urged everyone to keep fighting saying, “I know that the election hit a lot of us hard. But I can tell you this: Even when it feels tempting to pull the covers over your head, please keep going.” Watch a video of Clinton’s speech below.
The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold published yet another explosive report revealing Trump’s lack of charitable giving, despite his history of making dramatic public promises of donations, and detailing Trump’s misuse of his foundation. Hillary Clinton highlighted the new report in her remarks today at Wilton Manors, saying it was “truly stunning.”
Washington Post: “For as long as he has been rich and famous, Donald Trump has also wanted people to believe he is generous … It was, in large part, a facade. A months-long investigation by The Washington Post has not been able to verify many of Trump’s boasts about his philanthropy.”
Slate: “The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold has spent months going through records and talking to people to try to figure out whether Donald Trump is really as charitable as he claims to be. At this point in the campaign, it should surprise no one that the answer is no... Although Trump, particularly through his foundation, did give some money to charity over the years, much of it was self-serving and the dollar amounts of his contributions were often much less than what he made it seem.”
Today in Wilton Manors, Hillary Clinton highlights Trump’s “charitable giving, or lack thereof.”
“But yesterday the Washington Post published a report that was truly stunning. It starts with the story of a ribbon-cutting back in 1996 for a nursery school serving children living with HIV and AIDS in New York. Now, let me say, this is important in part to remember. This is a story about children with HIV and AIDS. So there was a big celebration honoring the donors who had supported the nursery school, and all the kids and their families, for whom this was the most important thing you can imagine. Because you know, back in the ‘90s, some of you remember. Right? Children weren’t welcomed in school.
And then, unannounced and uninvited, guess who barges in? Donald Trump. He walks right up to the stage. He sat down in the seat that was being saved for a local developer who had made a generous donation. None of the people working for the charity knew why he was there. He wasn’t a donor at all. He had never given a single dollar to help build the school. He just wanted people to think he had. So he sat on the stage through the program, even posed for photographs, and when it was over, he got up and walked out. No explanation. No donation. Now really, who does that? What kind of person does that? Really? I mean, who pretends to help kids with HIV and AIDS in order to make themselves look good? Well, I’ll tell you: The same kind of person who would pull a bait and switch on a high school chess team.
Back in 1997, he was principal for a day at a public school. That was a program we used to have in New York. The chess team was holding a bake sale to raise money to travel to a tournament. They were $5,000 short. He walked up to them and handed them a fake million dollar bill. At first the kids and their parents were excited. Then they were devastated to learn it was a joke. So he gave them 200 bucks and drove away in his limousine. Now, this story does have a happy ending because a woman read the story about Donald Trump’s behavior, called the school, and donated the $5,000. And the coach remembers this woman saying, “I am ashamed to be the same species as this man.”
Just this morning, Kellyanne Conway was pressed on Trump’s false philanthropy and was unable to provide any evidence that Fahrenthold’s reporting was anything other than spot-on.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Tim Kaine mentioned a big story in the Washington Post that found Donald Trump’s personal giving has disappeared entirely in recent years after calling 420 plus charities with connection to trump. The post found one personal gift between 2008 and the spring of 2009. They call into question all of the promises he’s made about giving to charity. Will Trump release his tax returns and show what he’s given?
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Not until our accountants and lawyers say we should.
[…]
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Any contributions to charity over the last several years from the foundation? The Post couldn’t find any and you wouldn’t respond.
KELLYANNE CONWAY: I’m told by those in charge of the Clinton Foundation —
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump Foundation.
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Excuse me, yes, George. He’s been incredibly generous with his time and money over the years. He started that foundation with just his money and the only contributor for a number of years.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But nothing over the last five years.
Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the Actors’ Equity Association. In a statement, the group said this is the first time they have endorsed a presidential candidate, but they felt the need to speak out. Executive Director Mary McColl expressed the importance of unions and the reason for their endorsement of Clinton. “Our union has historically chosen to remain nonpartisan and above the fray. But at such a critical time in our country’s history, this union does not have that luxury if we hope to protect our members. We have to fight with everything we have for our survival.” Clinton responded to the endorsement with the following statement.
“I am honored to have earned the first-ever endorsement of the Actors’ Equity Association.
I have spent my life fighting to even the odds for those who have had the odds stacked against them. That means making it possible for every child to live up to his or her God-given potential, no matter where they come from, what they look like, or who they love. And, although this is an unusual thing for a candidate for President to say, it means working to create more love and kindness in our country.
The Actors’ Equity Association shares these core values. And I couldn’t be prouder to have them standing with me in this election. The stakes could not be higher.
From the beginning, Donald Trump has based his campaign on prejudice and paranoia. He has insulted immigrants and demeaned women. He has called for banning 1.5 million people from so much as entering this country because of their religion. He mocked and mimicked a reporter with a disability. He would appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality, and when the time came to choose a running-mate, he selected a man who signed a law that would have allowed Indiana businesses to discriminate against LGBT people.
Donald Trump does not understand a basic truth about America: we are stronger together.
Americans don’t tear each other down—we lift each other up. We don’t build walls—we break down barriers. Together, we’ll fight to finally guarantee equal pay for women, protect workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively, and build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. We’ll pass the Equality Act and make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in employment and housing—and we won’t let up in the fight against HIV and AIDS until we reach the goal of an AIDS-free generation, which is finally in sight. We will face up to the reality of systemic racism and fix it—and we’ll fight back against those who are trying to deny Americans their fundamental right to vote. And above all, we will never forget that we are in this together, one nation, indivisible.
The future we want is within our reach—let’s build it together.”
Today, Hillary Clinton took a break from the campaign trail to pay her respects at the funeral of former First Lady Nancy Reagan. The public funeral was held at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Before the event, Clinton sat down with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell and spoke about Reagan’s legacy. She spoke about Reagan’s work with Alzheimer’s research and her stand on stem cell research. Clinton said, “She had not only an incredible relationship with her husband and supported him in every way, but she had a lot of courage and grit. It was very brave of her to take a political stand on behalf of research that she thought may help prevent or cure the disease.”
During the interview, Clinton mistakenly praised Reagan for her “very effective, low-key” advocacy for AIDS/HIV. But the Administration of Ronald Reagan did not focus on epidemic for six years after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first released a report on the epidemic. Members of the gay community have long criticized the Reagans for ignoring the epidemic for years. Clinton released a statement apologizing for the error saying, “While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS. For that, I’m sorry.”
Hillary Clinton’s statement on her comments about the Reagans' record on HIV and AIDS: pic.twitter.com/RtIs0zpJfk
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton listens to a question at town hall meeting at White Mountain Community College, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in Berlin, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Hillary Clinton has released her plans to fight for the rights of the LGBT community. She has previously said that “gay rights are human rights,” and her plan outlines a mix of legislation and support. The full details of the plan are available on The Briefing, but an outline is below:
Fight for full federal equality for all LGBT Americans
Work with Congress to pass the Equality Act
Continue President Obama’s LGBT equality executive actions
Supper efforts underway to clarify that under federal statutes “sex discrimination” includes discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “sexual orientation”
Support LGBT youth, parents, and elders
End discriminatory treatment of LGBT families in adoptions
Improve school climate for all students
End LGBT conversion therapy for minors
Combat youth homelessness
Ensure LGBT elders can retire with dignity and respect
Correct national data to better serve LGBT individuals and families
Honor the military service of LGBT people
Upgrade service records of LGBT veterans dismissed due to their sexual orientation
Support efforts to allow transgender personnel to serve openly
Secure affordable treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS
Call on Republican governors to extend Medicaid coverage to provide life-saving health care to people living with HIV
Cap out-of pocket expenses for people with HIV/AIDS
Expand the utilization of HIV prevention medications, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Protect transgender rights
Protect transgender individuals from violence
Streamline identity documents
Invest in law enforcement training on interactions with LGBT individuals
Promote human rights of LGBT people around the world
On Thursday, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a speech at Case Western Reserve University as a part of a “Commit to Vote” event where she outlined parts of her campaign platform. She took the opportunity to criticize Ohio Governor John Kasich for signing a bill that bans rape-crisis centers from providing information about abortions. She criticized other Republican candidates for being anti-choice and against groups such as Planned Parenthood and organizations that provide women’s health services. She said, “I would like these Republican candidates to look the mom in the eye who caught her breast cancer early because she was able to get a screening for cancer or the teenager who didn’t get pregnant because she has access to contraception. Or anyone who has ever been protected by an HIV test.”
A video from today’s event will be posted when/if available.
Tomorrow, Clinton head to Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the meantime, follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Hillary Clinton Speeches 