Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton sat down for a wide-ranging interview with radio host Howard Stern that touched on everything from impeachment to her relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Here are five takeaways from the 2 1/2 hour discussion.
1. Clinton believes there was a quid pro quo from President Donald Trump.
Clinton said she believes that Trump was trying to bribe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in their July phone call.
“Let’s not mince words -- Trump was trying to bribe the president of Ukraine to take action by announcing the beginning of an investigation on an unfounded theory against his domestic political opponent for his personal and political gain,” Clinton said. “You can’t make it up. Who would ever think anybody would do that?”
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Simon Dawson/Reuters, FILE Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during an event promoting "The Book of Gutsy Women" at the Southbank Centre in London, Britain, Nov. 10, 2019.
2. Clinton said attending Trump’s inauguration was one of the hardest days of her life.
“I went to the inauguration of Donald Trump, which was one of the hardest days of my life, to be honest,” she said. She remarked on how she was seated next to former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, during Trump’s speech.
“Then he started on that speech, which was so bizarre, and that’s when I got really worried,” she said. “And George W. Bush says to me, 'Well that was some weird s---.'”
3. Clinton warned of the dangers of interference in the 2020 election, and said that she has told Democratic candidates to be wary of what could happen.
“I think that, you know, look, the Russians and WikiLeaks really did a job on me, both in terms of the way they weaponized information and then the way that they -- they’re doing it again, they’re doing it to whoever else is going to be up there,” she said.
4. Clinton stopped short of saying who she supports in the race so far, telling Stern she will support whoever the nominee is.
“It’s up to the voters to decide,” she said. But Clinton did say she thinks that, based on polling, the nominee will be former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I think it’s too soon to tell because nobody has voted or caucused, so right now, according to the polls, Biden is going to get the nomination. But that’s, you know, a long way off,” she said.
She also said that in the indictments of Russian troll groups from the 2016 elections, “they’re basically like, ‘Hey let’s do everything we can to elect Donald Trump,’ ... I mean it also said Bernie Sanders, but that’s for another day.”
5. Clinton said Sen. Bernie Sanders "hurt" her in the general election, but, after being prompted by Stern, said that she does not hate him.
“No, I don’t hate anybody,” she said, though she did argue that Sanders could have endorsed her quicker after he left the race.
Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE Hillary Clinton, with Senator Bernie Sanders, speaks to and meets North Carolina voters at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 3, 2016.
“He could have. He hurt me, there’s no doubt about it,” she said. “And I hope he doesn’t do it again to whoever gets the nomination. Once is enough.”
Sanders endorsed Clinton in early July of 2016, about a month after it became known that Clinton had the delegates nationwide to obtain the nomination, and a week before the Democratic National Convention.
Clinton has largely ruled out a run in 2020, but has remained in the public eye as she promotes her new book, "The Book of Gutsy Women," which she co-authored with her daughter. She did say, though, that she plans to work to help elect a Democrat in 2020.
