John Podesta, the former chairman of Hillary for America, published an op-ed in The Washington Post attacking President Donald Trump for his continued distortion of the facts and attacks on the media. In the piece, Podesta calls out Trump for calling anything that does not portray him in the best light “fake news.” He has said this about poll numbers, his businesses, his connections to Russia, and any of his nominees. Podesta calls Trump’s attacks on the media “dangerous” as he is trying to turn people against the media and the political system. “He’s not just trying to spin the bad news of the day; all politicians do that. He seeks nothing less than to undermine the public’s belief that any news can be trusted, that any news is true, that there is any fixed reality,” he says. Read the full op-ed HERE.
On Friday, Hillary Clinton campaigned in two battleground states with her first event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Clinton was joined by former Steelers football players Franco Harris and Mel Blount, singer Donnie Iris, and Mark Cuban. Cuban introduced Clinton and attacked Donald Trump saying that “we cannot put our trust in Trump.” Clinton then spoke about a number of her campaign platform points and focused on her plans to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and American manufacturing. She said that as president, she would lead by listening to people and finding common ground, something that she doubts Trump is capable of. Clinton concluded by asking everyone to vote adding, “This is one of those make-or-break moments for the United States. It might be the most important election of our lifetimes.” A video of Clinton’s speech is below.
Clinton then traveled to Detroit, Michigan where she asked everyone to consider what kind of future we want for our country and our children. Do we want Trump’s divisive vision that brings back failed policies? Or would we rather plan for the country’s future by working together and creating an economy for the 21st century that benefit everyone? She outlined a number of her plans, but said that none of it will be possible if Trump is elected. Clinton urged everyone to get out and vote saying, “You have to vote. Our progress is on the line. Everything that’s happened up until this point is on the line.” A video of Clinton’s speech is below.
On Saturday, the current Second Lady of the United States Jill Biden campaigned with the woman hoping to soon hold that title, Anne Holton. The pair attended events in North Carolina, and they began their day in Fayetteville. They spoke at Fayetteville Technical Community College about the importance of the election and, how as military moms, they both trust Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. “I trust Hillary Clinton. She understands the importance of using our military power when it is needed – but only when it’s needed,” Holton said.
While in Fayeteville, they also attended a canvass kick-off event before heading to an early voting rally in Jacksonville. The two spoke about similar topics at each event and highlighted a number of Clinton’s key platform points. Their primary message, however, was about the importance of voting and ensuring that everyone has their say in this election. Speaking about the access to early voting in North Carolina, Holton said, “You have strong early voting laws in this state. You had to fight to get it. You can’t take them for granted.” Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.
In Nashua, New Hampshire, Vice President Joe Biden spoke to supporters about electing Democrats to office up and down the ballot on November 8th. While he was in the state to campaign for Hillary Clinton, he also appeared with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Democratic Senate candidate Maggie Hassan. Biden spoke about the importance of voting in the election on November 8th and blasted Donald Trump for his refusal to say he’d accept the outcome of the election. Biden said, “No democratic process can be sustained without a sense of trust. He’s questioning not the legitimacy of our elections, (but) the legitimacy of our democracy.” Biden also criticized Trump for his comments about the military and women saying that Trump does not represent American values. He spoke about a number of Clinton’s platform points saying that she will protect the middle class Watch a video of Biden’s speech below.
Thursday was a full day on the campaign trail with ten events being held on behalf of Hillary Clinton across the country and around the world. Clinton’s running mate, Time Kaine, held a rally in Reno, Nevada where he spoke to supporters at the University of Nevada Reno. During his speech, Kaine spoke about a variety of Clinton’s proposals including her plans to combat climate change, reduce the cost of higher education, equal rights for women and members of the LGBTQ community, and paid leave. As he spoke, Kaine compared Clinton’s views with those of Donald Trump saying that he cannot be trusted. “People who trust Trump tend to get hurt by Trump,” he said. A video of Kaine’s speech is below.
Kaine’s wife, Anne Holton, was in Ohio where she took part in four events. Holton began in Trotwood where she held a discussion on the topic of Veterans and Military Families. She spoke about Clinton’s plans to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs and ensure that military families were cared for while their loved one serves their country. In Columbus, Holton focused on early childhood education during a visit to Childhood League Center. Holton, the former Secretary of Education for Virginia, spent time with a preschool class and spoke with educators. At Holton’s final events of the day, in Delaware and Zanesville, she spoke with supporters about a number of Clinton’s platform points. Videos from the events will be added when/if available.
Chelsea Clinton attended events in Ohio and Michigan. In Toledo, Ohio, Chelsea spoke to a group of students and supporters on the campus of the University of Toledo. She spoke about a number of mother’s proposals, but focused more on her plans to reduce the cost of higher education and reduce the debt of those who have graduated from college. Chelsea said that Hillary’s plans are important because, “No one should have to make a professional choice to service debt.” Following her speech, Chelsea stopped by the local Hillary for America office in Toledo where she thanked volunteers for their hard work.
Chelsea then traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a Women for Hillary event. During her speech, Chelsea focused on women and family issues saying, “My mom understands that women’s issues aren’t just women’s issues; they’re family issues and economic issues. And she understands that economic issues aren’t just economic issues, they’re also women’s issues and family issues.” Chelsea then traveled to Lansing where she spoke at a Students for Hillary event at Michigan State University. She spoke about the Hillary’s plan to help college students and reduce student debt. Following her speech, Chelsea answered questions from those in attendance. A video of Chelsea’s event at Michigan State University is below.
Meanwhile, a fundraiser was held on behalf of Hillary for America in Vienna, Austria. The event was only open to American citizens and featured a conversation with William C. Eacho, former United States Ambassador to Austria (2009 – 2013).
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail on behalf of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. During his speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the president spent as much time criticizing Republican Donald Trump as he did expressing his confidence in Clinton. Obama attacked Trump’s divisive claims and attacked his new-found dedication to working people. “This guy who spent 70 years on this earth showing no concern for working people — this guy’s suddenly going to be your champion?” he asked the crowd. He then spoke about his trust in Clinton’s judgement and confidence that she has a better vision for the future saying, “This is not the usual choice between parties and policies and left and right. This is more fundamental. This is a fundamental choice about who we are as a people. This is a choice about the very meaning of America.” A video of the president’s speech is below.
Following Donald Trump’s speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Hillary for America Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri released the following statement:
“Like a schoolyard bully who can’t rely on facts or issues, Trump has only one way of responding to legitimate criticism of his own vulnerabilities: ‘I know you are, but what am I?’
Hillary Clinton’s well-founded criticisms of Trump, laid out in meticulous detail, become taunts and insults from Trump with no basis in reality. When she lays out a thoughtful speech outlining why he is unfit to be Commander in Chief, he calls her unhinged. She gives a speech on his disturbing history of racial discrimination and ties to white supremacists and the alt-right movement, he calls her a bigot. You could dismiss these actions as insecure schoolyard behavior but this man is running to be President of the United States. As Hillary Clinton has said, anyone you can bait this easily is not someone you can trust be Commander in Chief.”
During NBC’s Commander-in-Chief forum on Wednesday night, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off for the first time. While they were interviewed separately, that did not stop them from attacking each others proposals during their conversation with moderator Matt Lauer. Clinton was interviewed first by Lauer, and she spoke about her qualifications saying that she believes that a strong commander-in-chief is “an absolute rock steadiness and mixed with strength to be able to make the hard decisions. I’ve had the unique experience of watching and working with several presidents, and these are not easy decisions.”
Clinton was asked about a wide variety of topics including her support of the Iraq war, the decision to intervene in Libya, the Iran nuclear agreement, her proposal to end the Veterans Affairs backlog, and her plan to defeat ISIS. She demonstrated her strength as a policy wonk by being able to clearly outline her policy proposals. However, Clinton was defensive as she fielded questions from the audience about her judgement and faced questions from Lauer about her emails and her handling of classified materials. Audience members asked some tough questions and some of Clinton’s answers were indirect.
Overall, the forum was a preview of what is come later this month and Clinton and Trump face off in their first debate on September 26. While the forum has received mixed reviews, Clinton clearly demonstrated her knowledge of the issues, but she needs to work on convincing the American public that she is trustworthy. During Trump’s portion of the forum, he made a number of claims that prompted several responses from Clinton’s campaign. Each of Hillary for America’s releases can be read HERE, and a replay of the forum is below.
Update (9/9/2016): Hillary for America has released the following video featuring some of Trump’s comments from the forum.
This week, Teen Vogue published a special issue of their magazine featuring articles for girls, by girls. One of the essays was written by Hillary Clinton. In it, she offers inspiring advice to teenage girls on how their voices can be heard. Clinton says that three key ways to ensure they have a voice are: find something you care about and fight for it, learn from those who disagree with you, and vote. In her conclusion, Clinton says:
“I know many of you didn’t vote for me in the primaries. But no matter who you supported—whether it was me, Senator Bernie Sanders, or another candidate—I’m going to keep working hard to earn your trust. I’m not taking anything for granted. The stakes in this election are higher than ever. We have to come together to build an America that reflects the values your generation embodies—diversity, openness, innovation—and stop those who want to take us in a very different direction. Your age group is the largest American generation living today. That gives you a lot of power and even more responsibility. I know you’re up to it. “
Tim Kaine campaigned in North Carolina on Wednesday where he continued to focus on manufacturing and jobs. He began by visiting High Point where he toured Amerifab International, a bedding company. He visited with employees before heading to a campaign rally in Greensboro. During his speech, he spoke about Hillary Clinton’s plans to create jobs by helping manufacturers who build their product in the United States and by improving the country’s infrastructure. Kaine spoke about Donald Trump a number of times and questioned his judgement on key issues saying, “This ‘believe me’ thing. North Carolinians are not gullible people. And sadly, there is a lot of history with Donald Trump in that people who have trusted him have been hurt.” A video from the rally is below.
Meanwhile, across the country in Las Vegas, Nevada, a fundraiser was held at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The event was a discussion on cyber security and featured founder of Black Hat and DefCon hacking conferences, Jeff Moss, Hillary for America Cybersecurity Working Group Coordinator, Michael Sulmeyer, along with former DHS White House Liaison, Jake Braun.
Hillary Clinton Speeches 