After unloading on Sanders, Hillary Clinton walks back not committing to him as nominee
"Nobody likes him. Nobody wants to work with him. ... It's all just baloney," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee says.
By Allan Smith
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night walked back scathing comments in which she would not commit to backing Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as the Democratic presidential nominee and said "nobody likes him."
"He was in Congress for years," Clinton says in the soon-to-be-released four-part Hulu documentary "Hillary," The Hollywood Reporter said in a report on Tuesday. "He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him. Nobody wants to work with him. He got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it."
Asked by the publication in an interview released on Tuesday whether her assessment still stands, Clinton said, "Yes, it does."
And she would not commit to endorsing Sanders, who backed her as the Democratic nominee following the 2016 primaries, if he becomes the Democratic nominee.
"I'm not going to go there yet," she said. "We're still in a very vigorous primary season."
But Tuesday evening, Clinton amended her comments, tweeting that defeating President Donald Trump was the top priority, adding, "I will do whatever I can to support our nominee."
I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!
But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee.
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In The Hollywood Reporter, Clinton also criticized the "culture" around Sanders, as he has had high-profile disputes with Democratic rivals such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in recent weeks.
"I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him," Clinton said. "It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women."
Clinton said Sanders has "not only permitted" that culture but is "very much supporting it."
Asked what he thought of Clinton's saying "nobody likes him," Sanders said, "On a good day, my wife likes me, so let's clear the air on that one." On why Clinton was still discussing the 2016 primary, Sanders said: "That's a good question. You should ask her."
The progressive group Justice Democrats said Clinton's comments were "unacceptable" and "dangerous," calling on her to support "whoever the eventual Democratic nominee" is.
"Defeating Trump is far more important than settling old scores," said Alexandra Rojas, the organization's executive director. "Secretary Clinton's statement is unacceptable, out-of-touch, and dangerous. We're calling on her to do the right thing and immediately say that she'll do everything she can to support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee. It's fine to criticize a candidate or nominee — as we surely will — but we must keep our eyes on the prize."
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