Just because Donald Trump seems to elicit criticism every time he opens his mouth doesn’t mean that Hillary Clinton is an angel. As Uproxx found out at the Democratic National Convention, people don’t like her for a variety of reasons — chief among them her perceived inability to provide authentic responses to questions posed by both journalists and voters. It’s a faulty criticism, to be sure, but sometimes Clinton says things some might construe as being “inauthentic.”
At National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ (NAHJ) joint conference in Washington, things got awkward when Clinton was asked by ESPN’s Kevin Merida: “What is the most meaningful conversation you’ve had with an African-American friend?” Her initial response? “Oh my gosh! Well, can I tell you that I am blessed to have a crew of great friends.” Between Clinton’s repeated “ums,” “uhs” and other pauses, and a generous helping of laughter from the room at her use of the word “crew,” the moment’s discomfort was palpable enough to cut with a butter knife:
“I’ve had two Chiefs of Staff who were my African-American women friends, Maggie Williams and Cheryl Mills. I have been blessed to have people by my side in politics, like Minyon Moore, who was one of the leaders of my campaign … I really have had a lifetime of friendship going back to my college years when one of my best friends was an African-American student.”
She certainly seemed caught off guard. And conservative critics on Twitter were all too happy to bash Clinton and note that her use of the word “crew” was more “offensive” than Mitt Romney’s infamous “binders full of women” comment in 2012. However, others — including Merida himself and those in attendance at the NABJ/NAHJ meeting — were quick to defend Clinton’s awkward answer to an equally awkward question. But hey, at least it’s nowhere near as awful as Trump’s insistence that everyone should “take a look at my African-American” in June.
(Via Mediaite)