HFA Releases History of Trump’s History of Disrespect for Veterans and Military Families

Following Donald Trump’s speech before the American Legion’s National Convention yesterday, Hillary for America released a collection of quotes in which Trump has been disrespectful of veterans, the military, and their families. The full release is below.

From firing employees because of their military service, to lying about donations to veterans’ charities, to scamming veterans through Trump University, here’s a refresher on some of Trump’s most offensive statements and positions regarding veterans and military families:

Trump has attacked veterans and military families, including a Gold Star family.

NYT: Donald Trump criticizes Muslim family of slain U.S. soldier, drawing ire. “Donald J. Trump belittled the parents of a slain Muslim soldier who had strongly denounced Mr. Trump during the Democratic National Convention, saying that the soldier’s father had delivered the entire speech because his mother was not “allowed” to speak.”

BuzzFeed: Trump: My position on keeping terrorists out is what bothered Khizr Khan. “Trump has faced backlash from Republicans and Democrats over his remarks but has continued to attack the Khans.”

And when Trump was done, his campaign and allies continued the attack.

Stephen Bannon: “No, we’re not going to get off Khizr Kahn, we’re going to stay on this guy. We’re going to stay on this relentlessly.”

NH1: A top trump veterans adviser tells NH1 News Khizr Khan has ‘disgraced his son: “State Rep. Al Baldasaro, a top New Hampshire adviser to Donald Trump on veterans issues, says that Khizr Khan has ‘disgraced’ his son and ‘used him as a political pawn.'”

Trump has also profited from ripping off veterans and military families, and his businesses have fired employees because of their military service.

• Huffington Post: Trump Institute fired veteran for ‘absences’ after he was deployed to Afghanistan. “Wright was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring of 2007. When he came home to his job, the Trump Institute fired him. “All of your absences,” Wright’s boss at the Trump Institute told him, had forced the company to “reevaluate your position with the Trump Institute.” It is a violation of federal law to penalize an employee for absences caused by military service.”
• CNN: Iraq war veteran claims Trump University fired her for serving in the Army Reserve. “Corrine Sommers, who worked for Trump University for five months, sued Trump University after she was dismissed in October 2007. She reached a confidential settlement in that case. But she later alleged that she was fired because of her military service in a November 2012 deposition she gave in a federal class action suit that accused the school of fraud. That deposition was unsealed this week.”
• Huffington Post: Third Veteran Dumped By Trump Because Of Military Service: “Yet in at least three cases, Trump’s companies have either fired, or refused to hire, military reservists because of the time commitments demanded of them by their service in the armed forces.”
• TIME: What the legal battle over Trump University reveals about its founder. “The records indicate, for example, that Trump University collected approximately $40 million from its students–who included veterans, retired police officers and teachers–and that Trump personally received approximately $5 million of it”
• CNN: 40-year Navy veteran scammed out of $26,000 by Trump University
• The Daily Beast: Trump University’s star student: ‘it was a con.’ “’It was a lie,’ said Maddings, an ex-marine now 32, who told The Daily Beast that he racked up around $45,000 in credit card debt to buy Trump University seminars and products. […]'[Trump University] was a con. I’m 25-years-old, barely making $3,000 a month and they told me to increase my credit limit. I just maxed out three credit cards and I’m supposed to be able to qualify for loans to buy real estate? Those stupid principles have led me to borrow $700,000 of other people’s money and lose it all. I’m still paying off some of that debt to this day.”

Trump has also repeatedly lied about donating to veteran charities.

• Mother Jones: Donald Trump tried to cheat veterans out of $1 Million. “Donald Trump tried to cheat veterans out of $1 million: “ I want to make this simple. Here’s what Donald Trump did recently: He pledged $1 million to help veterans; he tried to weasel out of it for months and hoped no one would notice; and when he finally got caught, he ponied up grudgingly and insulted the reporter who caught him.”
• Washington Post: Four months after fundraiser, Trump says he gave $1 million to veterans group.“Trump also said he had never actually promised that the fundraiser had raised $6 million. ‘I didn’t say six,’ Trump said. In a video of the event, Trump tells the crowd at the end, ‘We just cracked $6 million! Right? $6 million.’ When asked about that quote, Trump said, ‘Well, I don’t. I don’t have the notes. I don’t have the tape of it.’”
• CNN:Trump’s website boasts that he gave $1 million to the 1995 Nation’s Day Parade, but the event’s organizer said that’s about three times more than he actually gave.
• CNN:“After signing a deal to launch his brand of vodka, Trump went on CNN’s ‘Larry King Live’ in 2006 and described the venture, saying, ‘I’m giving the money to charity.’ […] the vodka company sent multiple press releases stating it would donate sales proceeds to the Walter Reed Society, a charity supporting programs at Walter Reed Hospital. The charity’s administrator tells CNN the donations amounted to about ‘a few hundred dollars.'”

Trump also attempted multiple times to kick disabled veteran street vendors off Fifth Avenue, near the home of Trump Tower.

• NYDN:“Do we allow Fifth Ave., one of the world’s finest and most luxurious shopping districts, to be turned into an outdoor flea market, clogging and seriously downgrading the area?”
• NY Post: Trump to Mayor: Boot fifth ave peddlers: “Whether they are veterans or not, they should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street… I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late.”

Trump signaled he wants to privatize the VA and that he opposed the post-9/11 GI bill.

• WSJ:Donald Trump adviser signals plan to change veterans’ health care. “While short on details, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee would likely push VA health care toward privatization and might move for it to become more of an insurance provider like Medicare rather than an integrated hospital system, said Sam Clovis, Mr. Trump’s chief policy adviser, in an interview.”
• Asked point-blank in May if he supported the Post-9/11 G.I., which has benefitedover 700,000 veterans and their family members, Trump said no.

He’s disrespected prisoners of war like Senator John McCain…

• Trump on Sen. John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, ok? I hate to tell you.”
• BuzzFeed: Trump: I Don’t Regret McCain Comments, My Poll Numbers Went Up

…compared his own “struggles” to the true sacrifices of those who serve our country…

• Trump said that despite never serving our country, he “always felt that I was in the military” because he was sent to a military-themed boarding school.

…and after a veteran even gave Trump his coveted purple heart to which Trump responded:

• “This was much easier.”

Ultimately, Trump has shown he is completely unfit to serve as commander in chief.

• Last year, Trump downplayed the dangers of war with modern technology, claiming that if an armored Humvee is hit with an explosive, our soldiers just “go for a little ride upward and they come down.”

Trump said earlier this year that our military is a “disaster.” Later on, at a campaign rally in Delaware, he went as far as to say that our military is in “shambles” and that it needed rebuilding.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: The Washington Post

Clinton Campaign Reinforces Clinton’s Good Health

Today, Hillary for America released a fact sheet combating conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton’s health. The release references the official physicians report released by Clinton’s doctor in 2015 and denies all allegations that Clinton’s health is failing. The full release is below.

Trump Pushes Deranged Conspiracy About Clinton’s Health To Distract From Tax Return Questions

Facing withering criticism from national media outlets, state editorial boards and even some Republican allies over his refusal to release his tax returns, Donald Trump is once again peddling deranged conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to change the subject – this time with absurd and debunked claims about Hillary Clinton’s health.

This is hardly the first time Trump and his allies have donned tin foil hats when things weren’t going his way.  When his back was previously up against the wall, he’s suggested President Obama was a Muslim with ISIS sympathies, that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was murdered and that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Now, with the help of his well-oiled network of conspiracy peddlers – from Roger Stone to Sean Hannity – Trump is desperately trying to give life to already busted myths about the health of a woman whose stamina and focus was publicly lauded following an 11 hours long hearing about the tragedy in Benghazi.

Per his long pattern, Trump will clearly say or do anything to avoid the barrage of questions only his tax returns can answer: Whether he’s worth as much as he dubiously claims?  Whether his pro-Kremlin policies stem from financial conflicts of interest with Russian oligarchs?  Or whether he actually gives as much as he says to charity?

“While it is dismaying to see the Republican nominee for president push deranged conspiracy theories in a foreign policy speech, it’s no longer surprising,” said Jennifer Palmieri. “Donald Trump is simply parroting lies based on fabricated documents promoted by Roger Stone and his right wing allies. Hillary Clinton has released a detailed medical record showing her to be in excellent health plus her personal tax returns since 1977, while Trump has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. It’s time for him to stop using shameful distractions to hide his own record.”

Two Deranged, Debunked Conspiracies About Clinton’s Health

The Doctors’ Letters

Trump confidant and discredited conspiracy peddler Roger Stone and his right-wing allies have been pushing fake medical documents supposedly leaked from Hillary Clinton’s physician that purport to show grave health problems.

However, here’s a statement from the actual Dr. Lisa Bardack, Hillary Clinton’s real internist and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at CareMount Medical, debunking the veracity of these false documents:

“As Secretary Clinton’s long time physician, I released a medical statement during the campaign indicating that she is in excellent health.  I have recently been made aware of allegedly ‘leaked’ medical documents regarding Secretary Clinton with my name on them. These documents are false, were not written by me and are not based on any medical facts. To reiterate what I said in my previous statement, Secretary Clinton is in excellent health and fit to serve as President of the United States.”

Here’s a link to the actual medical records about Hillary Clinton released by Dr. Bardack (written on actual letterhead) with the concluding summary directly below:

 Now compare that to the medical records released from Donald Trump’s gastroenterologist – not internist — that makes several peculiar claims that Kurt Eichenwald, senior writer at Newsweek, dissected in a must watch segment on CNN this morning:

1. Eichenwald: “This is not a real letter because what you have, number one, it’s not from an internist. It’s from a doctor who treats digestive problems.”

2. Eichenwald: “He says that all of Mr. Trump’s medical tests are positive. That means that everything he was tested for, he has. No competent or real doctor would write this.”

3. Eichenwald: “It also says such things as ‘Donald Trump will be the healthiest president in the history of the United States.’ That sounds a lot like Donald Trump.”

4. Eichenwald: “It doesn’t have a real letter letterhead. The letterhead was written on Microsoft Word.”

Hannity Drafts Urologist To Diagnose Potential Head Trauma Via Video Tape

To push the baseless narrative about lingering head trauma, Trump surrogate Sean Hannity drafted a urologist – not a neurologist – wearing a white physician’s coat to help diagnose whether a video tape was evidence of repercussions from previous head trauma.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

Statement from HFA Responding to Trump’s Ideological Test for Immigrants

Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor Jake Sullivan today responded to a proposal made by Republican Donald Trump last week. Trump called for Muslim immigrants entering or visiting the United States to be submitted to an ideological test. In a statement, Sullivan said that Trump’s proposal “cannot be taken seriously.” The campaign also released a video highlighting Trump’s comments. Sullivan’s statement and HFA’s video are below.

“This so-called ‘policy’ cannot be taken seriously.  How can Trump put this forward with a straight face when he opposes marriage equality and selected as his running mate the man who signed an anti-LGBT law in Indiana?  It’s a cynical ploy to escape scrutiny of his outrageous proposal to ban an entire religion from our country and no one should fall for it.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: The Washington Post

Memo: Trump Unfit To Be Commander In Chief

Today, Jake Sullivan, Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor, released the following memo outlining the campaign’s arguments as to why they believe Donald Trump is unfit to be president. The full release and video are below.

To: Interested Parties
From: Jake Sullivan, Hillary For America Senior Policy Adviser
Re: Trump Unfit To Be Commander In Chief
Date: Monday, August 15, 2016

This is not a normal election. Simply put, Donald Trump is unfit to be our commander in chief. This isn’t overcranked campaign rhetoric – national security experts across the political spectrum are issuing the same warning.

Trump is erratic. He’s thin-skinned. He’s vindictive. He praises dictators and displays a strange affinity for Putin. He trash talks America and threatens to abandon our allies. He uses dangerous rhetoric and proposes dangerous policies that play into the hands of terrorists. He talks casually about nuclear weapons. He knows nothing about foreign policy and he has no interest in learning.

Last week, we got yet another clear and alarming reminder of his lack of fitness for the job.  Reading off the talking points of Vladimir Putin and our other adversaries, Trump falsely claimed that Barack Obama founded ISIS. The world noticed. Just days later, the leader of Hezbollah – a terrorist organization that seeks Israel’s destruction – approvingly quoted Trump’s comments.

Hillary Clinton is uniquely qualified and prepared to assume the role of commander in chief. And Donald Trump is uniquely unqualified. She has serious plans to make our country more secure, and a record of leadership to back it up. He has neither. She is proud to call herself an American and of her work as a public servant. He calls America a third-world country.

The choice is clear. It’s not a choice between a Democrat and a Republican, but between a responsible leader who will keep us safe, and a volatile man who threatens our security.

Background:

Arrogance And Ignorance: A Dangerous Combination

When it comes to foreign policy – just like everything else – Donald Trump is convinced he knows more than anyone in the room. Asked who he consults to help shape his views, Trump explained that he mostly just relies on himself because he has “a very good brain.” His lack of interest in learning from others is reflected in his lack of knowledge of basic facts on foreign affairs:

• Donald Trump on who he speaks to on foreign policy: “I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things.”

• Donald Trump on foreign policy experts: “Honestly, most of them are no good.”

• Donald Trump: “I know more about ISIS than the generals do. Believe me.”

• Washington Examiner: Trump says he has a secret plan to beat the Islamic State

• USA Today: Trump attributes Russia knowledge to hosting Miss Universe pageant there

• Boston Globe Editorial: “Not only did Trump not know the basics of the US nuclear triad (the Pentagon’s land, sea, and air contingent of nuclear forces)…”

• Times of Israel: Trump can’t differentiate between Hamas, Hezbollah

• Washington Post: Trump’s top example of foreign experience: A Scottish golf course losing millions

• Donald Trump: “Don’t tell me [torture] doesn’t work — torture works. (It doesn’t.)

• Weekly Standard: Trump Confuses Iran’s Quds Forces and Kurds Fighting ISIS

Proposals Trump Has Made Would Make Us Less Safe

Donald Trump has offered a lot of rhetoric but very few actual proposals. The few plans he has put forth – like his Muslim ban – are out of step with our values and our common sense. From suggesting we should abandon our allies to calling for bringing back torture, Trump’s policies would make us less safe. Some align with Vladimir Putin’s interests and not with American interests; others play into ISIS’ hands:

• Donald Trump: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.

• Donald Trump: “It’s really rather amazing, maybe Syria should be a free zone for ISIS, let them fight and then you pick up the remnants.”

• Vox: Donald Trump: make America great again by letting more countries have nukes

• Donald Trump: “We don’t really need NATO in its current form. NATO is obsolete… if we have to walk, we walk.”

• BBC: Trump says US may abandon automatic protections for NATO countries

• Politico: Trump calls Geneva Conventions ‘the problem’

• Donald Trump: “The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families”

• Donald Trump: “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work — torture works… Waterboarding is fine, but it’s not nearly tough enough, ok?”

• Donald Trump: “The case could be made, that let [Japan] protect themselves against North Korea. They’d probably wipe them out pretty quick….Good luck, folks, enjoy yourself. If they fight, that would be terrible, right? But if they do, they do.

• AP: Donald Trump encourages Russian hackers to spy on Hillary Clinton

• Politico: Trump changed views on Ukraine after hiring Manafort

• New York Times: “It is not clear that Mr. Manafort’s work in Ukraine ended with his work with Mr. Trump’s campaign. A communications aide for Mr. Lyovochkin, who financed Mr. Manafort’s work, declined to say whether he was still on retainer or how much he had been paid.”

• Mother Jones: Is Donald Trump’s Campaign Manager Still on the Payroll of a Ukrainian Political Leader?

• New York Times: “Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine’s newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.”

• New York Times: “A separate deal also funneled Russian-linked oligarchic money into Ukraine… Mr. Deripaska agreed to pay a 2 percent annual management fee to Mr. Manafort and his partners, and put $100 million into the fund…”

Dangerous Rhetoric: Trump Praises Dictators, Bashes America And Our Leaders, Stokes Islamophobia

The Trump *candidacy* alone is undermining our national security.  He is the nominee representing one of America’s two major political parties.  His words matter.  Whether he’s praising dictators, channeling the talking points of our enemies, attacking American leaders and those who have sacrificed the most for our country, or stoking Islamophobia, those words are doing harm to our friends and emboldening our adversaries:

• Donald Trump: “You’ve got to give [Kim Jong Un] credit. How many young guys — he was like 26 or 25 when his father died — take over these tough generals…. It’s incredible. He wiped out the uncle. He wiped out this one, that one.”

• NBC News: Trump Calls Tiananmen Square Protests a ‘Riot,’ Defends Calling Crackdown ‘Strong’

• Donald Trump: “I will tell you in terms of leadership [Putin] is getting an ‘A,’ and our president is not doing so well.”

• Washington Post: Donald Trump praises Saddam Hussein for killing terrorists ‘so good’

• Huffington Post: Trump Once Praised Tyrants For Not Being Politically Correct

• International Business Times: Donald Trump: US becoming a ‘third-world country’

• Washington Post: The 100-plus times Donald Trump assured us that America is a laughingstock

• New York Times: Donald Trump Calls Obama ‘Founder of ISIS’ and Says It Honors Him

• ABC News: Hezbollah Leader Echoes Trump That Obama, Clinton Founded ISIS

• Donald Trump: “We don’t even really know who the leader [of ISIS] is.” (We do.)

• Donald Trump: “Our military is a disaster.”

• Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin: Trump insults Gold Star mom, freaks out U.S. allies

• Donald Trump: “[John McCain’s] not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, ok? I hate to tell you.”

• BuzzFeed: Trump: I Don’t Regret McCain Comments, My Poll Numbers Went Up

• Donald Trump on our generals: “Well, they don’t know much, because they’re not winning.”

• Washington Post: Donald Trump says he ‘always wanted to get the Purple Heart’

• Reuters: Trump’s Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Is Fueling More Islamophobic Incidents

• Washington Post’s David Ignatius: Trump’s Islamophobia propels the Islamic State

Independent and Republican Experts Agree: Trump Is Uniquely Dangerous

When all of this is taken together, it paints a striking picture: Donald Trump isn’t a normal presidential nominee. He is a uniquely dangerous candidate. The result? Foreign policy experts across the board – from lifelong Republicans to apolitical national security officials – are speaking out to say they cannot accept the prospect of a Trump presidency:

• New York Times (8/8/16): 50 G.O.P. Officials Warn Donald Trump Would Put Nation’s Security ‘at Risk’: “He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior. All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be president and commander in chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.”

• Washington Post (8/8/16): Former GOP national security officials: Trump would be ‘most reckless’ American president in history

• Washington Post (8/4/16): Republicans are among a new list of foreign policy experts denouncing Trump: “We find Trump’s comments to be reckless, dangerous, and extremely unwise.  They contradict a core, bipartisan principle found in every U.S. administration — that our security in North America is indivisible with our democratic allies in Europe.”

• Washington Post (3/3/16): Trump is ‘fundamentally dishonest,’ say GOP national security leaders in open letter: “[Trump’s] vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle. He swings from isolationism to military adventurism within the space of one sentence.”

• Former Acting CIA Director Mike Morell: In sharp contrast to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Trump has no experience on national security. Even more important, the character traits he has exhibited during the primary season suggest he would be a poor, even dangerous, commander in chief…. In the intelligence business, we would say that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.”

• GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger: “I’m an American before I’m a Republican. I’m saying for me personally, how can I support that? Because he’s crossed so many red lines that a commander in chief or a candidate for commander in chief should never cross.”

• GOP Rep. Richard Hanna: “[Trump’s] unhinged. It’s difficult to imagine why anyone could support him. He comes across as a demagogue. He comes across as a guy who, frankly, Putin has made a fool of.”

• ABC News: Gen. John Allen Says Donald Trump Could Cause ‘Civil Military Crisis’: “What we do have to do, George, is listen to what he’s been saying about our military,” Allen said. “He’s called it a disaster. He says our military can’t win anymore. That’s a direct insult to every single man and woman who’s wearing the uniform today.”

• Defense One: Former Bush Officials — Negroponte and Donley — Endorse Clinton. Former Air Force Secretary Michael Donley: “Her deep experience in public service, even temperament, willingness to listen to others and unifying message stands in stark contrast with Donald Trump, who has sown divisiveness at home, confused our allies abroad and shown repeatedly that he lacks the temperament, judgment, character and common decency the American people deserve and should expect in their leadership.”

• PoliticsUSA: Former Reagan/Bush Ambassador Calls Trump Incompetent As Republicans Flock To Clinton: “The Republican nominee for President has no government experience and has done nothing in his career to demonstrate that he is competent to be President. He has made repeated misstatements and inaccurate statements. He has insulted minorities, women, a war hero and Gold Star parents. He is unqualified and unfit to be President.”

• Republican foreign policy expert Max Boot: “Trump is an ignorant demagogue who traffics in racist and misogynistic slurs and crazy conspiracy theories. He champions protectionism and isolationism — the policies that brought us the Great Depression and World War II.”

• Former CIA Director Michael Hayden: “The jihadist narrative is that there is undying enmity between Islam and the modern world so when Trump says they all hate us, he’s using their narrative … he’s feeding their recruitment video.”
• Senior Romney Adviser and foreign policy expert, Gabriel Schoenfeld: Donald Trump’s rhetoric is helping ISIS — and vice versa

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

Clinton, Kaine Wrap Up Bus Tour in Ohio

On Sunday, Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine wrapped up their jobs focused bus tour in Ohio. Although it was initially reported that Clinton would not appear in Cleveland, Clinton did make a stop in the city and spoke during Sunday services at Imani Temple Ministry. During her brief remarks, Clinton spoke about the promise of America and her plans to defend the American dream. A video of her address is below (I apologize for the poor audio).

Clinton and Kaine’s final event of the bus tour was a rally in Columbus. Kaine and Clinton both continued to focus their remarks on her jobs plan and improvements to the infrastructure; however, Clinton did address comments made by Donald Trump about retired General John Allen and Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a Muslim American solder killed in 2004. Clinton said that she was disgusted by Trump’s divisive language saying, “It’s going to be up to all of us to repudiate the hatefulness, attacks on distinguished military leaders … or insulting the family of a fallen soldier, Captain Khan, an American Muslim who sacrificed his life to protect his unit and other soldiers.” A video from the event is below.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: Fox 8, The Columbus Dispatch

Hillary Clinton Attends Orlando Roundtable

On Friday, Hillary Clinton kicked off two days in Florida. Her first event was held today in Orlando where she held a roundtable discussion with community leaders and several family members of victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Clinton made brief remarks at the beginning of the event, but she said that she was primarily there to “listen to what your experiences have been.” Topics covered included gun control, the LGBTQ community, and the importance of working with the Muslim community to help prevent violence. While in Orlando Clinton laid a bouquet of flowers in front of the nightclub building. A video from the event is below.

Several fundraisers have been held on behalf of Hillary for America over the last few days. On Wednesday, a concert featuring Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas was held in Boston, Massachusetts. In Brooklyn, New York, meanwhile, an event was held with Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan. On Thursday, a conference call event was held from National, New York with HFA Senior Policy Advisor Ann O’Leary.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The Washington Post, News 6

Hillary Clinton Addresses Terrorism in Cleveland

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center, Monday, June 13, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Following yesterday’s terror inspired shooting at an Orlando, Florida night club, Hillary Clinton delivered a counter-terrorism speech today in Cleveland, Ohio. Clinton was previously scheduled to appear in Cleveland today, but she changed the subject of her speech following yesterday’s devastating shooting. During her speech, Clinton called for a bipartisan response to not only fight ISIS, but to restore an assault rifle ban that was in effect during the 1990s. She said, “It’s essential that we stop terrorists from getting the tools they need to carry out the attacks, and that is especially true when it comes to assault weapons like those used in Orlando and San Bernardino.”

Clinton reached out to the LGBT community saying, “I want to say this to all the LGBT people grieving today in Florida and across our country, you have millions of allies who will always have your back. I am one of them.” She also reached out to the country’s Muslim allies saying that blaming all of Islam is not the answer. While she did not say his name, she referred to Republican Donald Trump’s proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the country. Clinton said, “Inflammatory, anti-Muslim rhetoric—and threatening to ban the families and friends of Muslim Americas as well as millions of Muslim business people and tourists from entering our country—hurts the vast majority of Muslims who love freedom and hate terror.” A full video from Clinton’s speech is below and a transcript can be read HERE.

Earlier in the day, Clinton called in to NBC’s The Today Show and spoke with Savannah Guthrie. Clinton discussed the importance of not blaming Muslims for the shooting, but the person who carried it out and the system that enabled him to purchase an assault rifle. She also criticized Trump for his rhetoric and said that it is ignoring the key issue of going after ISIS and preventing them from using social media to recruit. Audio from Clinton’s interview is below.

Meanwhile in New York City, a fundraiser was held in partnership with Hillary for America. The event featured a conversation with Cheif Finanical Officer Gary Gensler and was hosted by Mike Bodson, Donna Milrod, Larry Thompson, and Mark Wetjen. Clinton was scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Cincinnati, but the event was postponed.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The Today Show, The Atlantic, Time, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal

Bill, Chelsea Campaign for Hillary in New Jersey

On Friday, Bill Clinton campaigned on behalf of Hillary in New Jersey. Speaking to a crowd of supporters at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, Bill was confronted by a small group of protestors, but he turned his focus to Hillary’s platform and how her plans focus on “bridge-building, not wall building.” He criticized presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for his rhetoric, and argued that it was better for everyone to work together to achieve our shared goals. He said, “We need the good freedom-loving, terror-hating Muslim-Americans to help us to lead the fight. We gotta live together and be citizens, together. We gotta protect everybody’s rights: Religious rights, women’s rights, voting rights and labor rights. We gotta prove to that we can do this together.”

Bill then traveled to Ewing Township where he spoke at the College of New Jersey. He, again, spoke about Trump and his plans to shut the borders of the United States to outsiders. Bill argued that does not work because of modern technology and social media. He said that we have to have a multi-front strategy that includes the internet. He said, “San Bernadino, our latest terrorist incident, was because of people converted over the Internet. America desperately needs its Muslims who love freedom and hate terror and want to be a part of this country.” Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

Continually grateful for the enthusiastic support of @SEIU. Thanks for joining me today in Bloomfield! https://t.co/XXsXBaZELG—
Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) May 13, 2016

Chelsea Clinton also attended two events in New Jersey. She took part in the opening of Hillary for America office in Metuchen and Bloomfield. At each event, she addressed local supporters and volunteers who came out for the event. Chelsea spoke about the importance of the 2016 election and why Hillary is best qualified for the White House. She thanked everyone for their support and asked for their vote on June 7.

Hillary, meanwhile, was in California where she spoke to CBS San Francisco. During the exclusive interview, she spoke about her platform and plans should she become president. She was asked about Trump a number of times, and she expressed her concern saying, “I’ve never seen a candidate like Donald Trump; that’s fair. And I’ve never seen so much concern – even in his own party – by Republicans about their nominee.” She also spoke about the importance of immigration reform, the need to upgrade the country’s infrastructure, and her thoughts on legalized marijuana. A full video of the interview can be viewed HERE.

Two California fundraisers were held on behalf of Hillary for America. The first was in San Francisco and focused on LGBT issues. The conversation featured Robby Mook, Campaign Manager; Teddy Goff, Chief Digital and Technology Strategist; and David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama 2008. The second event was held in Santa Monica and was hosted by Roberta Conroy, Ashley Kennedy and Rosezetta Cummings, Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz, Andrea Meyerson, and Valerie Ploumpis. The event featured a conversation with Senator Tammy Baldwin, Lily Tomlin, Meredith Baxter, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Stephanie Miller, and Billie Jean King.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: CBS SFBayArea, Woodbridge Patch, NJ.com, Politico, Philadelphia Inquirer

Bill Clinton Campaigns in Flushing

On Tuesday, Bill Clinton was in New York City where he spoke at an organizing event in Flushing, Queens. Bill spoke about a variety of Hillary Clinton’s platform points including immigration reform, heath care, criminal justice reform, and supporting small businesses. On the topic of small businesses, he said, “New York City’s economy is diversifying … We doubled the number of small business loans to women and to minorities. That’s what Hillary wants to do again.” He then asked voters to support Hillary in New York’s upcoming primary, which will be held on April 19.

In the evening, Bill attended a gala hosted by Emily’s List. During the event, he spoke about Hillary’s plans and criticized the Republicans and their policies. He called out Donald Trumps proposals to ban Muslims from entering the country and building a wall that Mexico will pay for. He said that neither plan will work and it doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Bill stressed the importance of working with Silicon Valley companies to fight terrorism because while it may be possible to keep people from crossing the border, “you cannot keep the social media out.” A video from today’s events will be added when/if available.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Clinton attended a fundraiser in Brooklyn, New York. A second fundraiser was held on behalf of Hillary for America in New York City. It was hosted by Entrepreneurs for Hillary and featured a conversation with the Kitchen co-founder Kimbal Musk. The event was hosted by Laetitia and Richard Garriott de Cayeux.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: Politicio, The New York Daily News

Clinton Speaks at USC, Appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton took part in a roundtable discussion on homeland security at USC Thursday, March 24, 2016. James Featherstone, President of Homeland Security Advisory Council of Los Angeles Joumana Silyan-Saba, Mayor’s Office of Public Safety Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Mayor Hillary Clinton Salam Al Maryati, Executive Director of Muslim Public Affairs Council Brie Loskota, Executive Director of USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News)

On Thursday, Hillary Clinton took part in a roundtable discussion on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC). The roundtable consisted of Los Angeles area officials and focused on the issue of homeland security and the Muslim American community. Clinton spoke about the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium saying that the rhetoric coming from the Republican presidential candidates is dangerous and will not make America safer. She said, “We cannot allow our nation to be pitting groups against one another. We cannot give in to panic and fear. It’s not in keeping with our values. It’s not effective in protecting us, and it plays into the hands of terrorists.” A full video from the discussion is below.

Later in the evening, Clinton stopped by ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! where she and Kimmel discuss a number of topics including her campaign, Republican rival Donald Trump, campaign finance reform, and her email controversy. During her appearance, Kimmel offered suggestions of new campaign slogans, and he helped Clinton with a speech by “mansplaining” how it would be perceived by men. The interview was very light and funny, and you can check out clips from it below.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The Los Angeles Daily News, ABC7