Hillary Clinton is revisiting her controversial 2016 comments about Donald Trump supporters, famously labeling some of them as “Deplorables”. In a recent piece for the Washington Post, she suggests that the term may actually be “too kind” given the hate and violence associated with certain factions of his base.
While acknowledging that her initial comments were “unfortunate” and considered “bad politics,” Clinton argues they highlighted a significant truth. She expressed that the term “deplorable” falls short when considering the extreme behavior witnessed from some Trump supporters.
Clinton’s original statement, made during a fundraising event just weeks before the 2016 election, claimed that half of Trump’s supporters were a “basket of deplorables.” This remark has since been a focal point of discussion, as many believe it negatively impacted her campaign by alienating key voter demographics.
Fast forward to the present day, and with the 2024 election looming, Clinton finds many of the issues she highlighted in her campaign still resonate. In her new book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty, she reflects on significant events since her campaign, including the Charlottesville rally and the January 6 Capitol riots.
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In the 2016 election, Clinton secured 227 electoral votes compared to Trump’s 304, despite winning the popular vote. She noted, “I was talking about those who are attracted to his racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry,” emphasizing that for some, Trump’s prejudices were appealing rather than off-putting.
Clinton mentioned that she received commendations for the foresight of her statement, arguing that public focus often skewed towards the first part of her comments while overlooking the other group of Trump supporters—those disillusioned with the government and in search of meaningful change.
Reflecting on her experience during Trump’s presidency, Clinton feels vindicated, pointing out how he has used his position to promote conspiracy theories and maintain a bullying presence from the Oval Office.