Hillary Clinton recently doubled down on her 2016 “deplorables” comment which she says may have been too lenient in describing some of Donald Trump's supporters.
Fox News reported that Clinton penned an op-ed for The Washington Post on Wednesday, reflecting on her notorious remark from the 2016 campaign trail. Originally, Clinton had described some of Trump’s supporters as belonging to a “basket of deplorables,” a statement she later apologized for.
In her article, Clinton discussed the radicalization of some individuals who support Donald Trump.
She highlighted how, in the years following her comments, events like the Charlottesville rally and the Capitol riot on January 6 have underscored the extremism she referenced.
Basically, Clinton is in no way apologetic for her demonization of anyone who supports Trump and stands firm in her belief that Americans who support MAGA need to be "reeducated."
Clinton's reflection marks a shift from her initial apology. She now believes that her 2016 comment touched on an "important truth" about the bigotry and extremism among Trump's base.
“In 2016, I famously described half of Trump’s supporters as ‘the basket of deplorables.’ I was talking about the people who are drawn to his racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia — you name it,” Clinton wrote.
She cited the rise of hate-driven incidents and extremist activities as evidence that her original remark was understated. “The masks have come off, and if anything, ‘deplorable’ is too kind a word for the hate and violent extremism we’ve seen from some Trump supporters,” she asserted.
Clinton brought up the story of Shannon Foley, a former white supremacist who has since dedicated herself to helping others leave hate groups. Foley's journey from hatred to redemption inspired Clinton to reconsider the potential for empathy and change among radicalized individuals.
“I marveled at the empathy Shannon managed to summon for even the most (yes, let’s say it) deplorable bigots,” Clinton noted, reflecting on her interaction with Foley. This story led her to ponder broader possibilities for healing and redemption across the country.
In her op-ed, Clinton expressed a complex view toward those she previously labeled irredeemable. “Talking about the ‘deplorables’ in 2016, I said, ‘Some of those folks, they are irredeemable.’ Part of me would still say this is objectively true. Just look at the lack of remorse from many of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists who’ve been convicted of sedition and other crimes,” she explained.
However, she also voiced a hope for redemption. “But another part of me wants to believe something else. I’d like to believe there’s goodness in everyone and a chance at redemption, no matter how remote,” she mused.
Hillary Clinton believes herself to be an appropriate judge for determining who is "irredeemable," and who can have "redemption." This rhetoric from Clinton is infinitely more alarming than anything Trump has said in the past decade.
Clinton also reiterated her criticism of Trump for his associations during the 2016 presidential campaign. “I regret saying ‘half’ – that was wrong. But let's be clear, what's really ‘deplorable’ is that Donald Trump hired a major advocate for the so-called ‘alt-right’ movement to run his campaign and that David Duke and other White supremacists see him as a champion of their values,” she stated.
Clinton has learned nothing from 2016 and has shown that she is in fact the "irredeemable" one who should never have as close to the White House as she did.
