Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is warning of a “dark and dystopian” future if Americans vote to re-elect former President Donald Trump to the White House in next year’s election.
Clinton, who is now a professor and presidential fellow in global affairs at Columbia University, expressed her dismal sentiment toward a re-boot of a Trump White House during an interview on PBS’s NewsHour, contrasting her view of the Trump administration vis-à-vis the Biden administration.
“The accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration are popping. And they are laying the groundwork for a richer, more secure country, with more people having an opportunity to go as far as their hard work and talent will take them,” Clinton said.
“And I’m for them on the merits, but I’m also for them because the alternative is so dark and dystopian,” she added. “To undermine the rule of law, to destroy our institutions, to pull us out of NATO, do Putin’s bidding, to be unwilling to stand up for the real American values, to put one person above the country. None of that is American. So, I think that Biden/Harris deserves to be reelected. I think we have to reelect them given what the alternative is.”
President Joe Biden has steadily led Trump in polling until recently. As of August, the duo — neither of whom roughly two-thirds of the country want to see run again — were tied in a hypothetical general election matchup.
More recent polling shows Trump going to the lead spot, edging out Biden by 7 points in one poll and 10 points in another.
Election forecasting site Race to The White House — arguably the most accurate forecaster in the nation, having called correctly 97.1% of Senate races, 96.3% of House races, and 94.4% of governor races — now shows Trump leading Biden nationally. Until last month, the site had Biden ahead in its national forecast.
Even factoring in the numerous recent favorable polls for Trump, in Electoral College forecasting, Race to The White House shows that if the election were held today, Biden would likely take 286 electoral votes, while Trump would win 250.
A candidate needs 270 to take the presidency.
Clinton, who has been no stranger to trading barbs with the former president since the 2016 election campaign, used the interview with PBS to attack Trump’s supporters.
In response to a question about Trump’s 40-point lead over his nearest rival in Republican primary polling, Clinton said:
It’s psychological and emotional. A big part of the Republican base feels a connection to Trump. I still believe sitting here today he will be their nominee, no matter how hard others may try to distinguish themselves.
I think it’s a very sad commentary on what people are looking for in a leader, because everything that he allegedly stands for is at odds with so much of what has made this country work for a long time, overcome many of our shortcomings and obstacles.
And it seems almost impossible to break through that 40 percent that is wedded to him as the next president.
She further added:
Joe Biden has delivered for you. But it’s the emotional, psychological, cultural connection to someone who really has unfortunately manipulated social media and also some so-called mainstream media in a way that people believe what he says to them.
And that’s hard to break. It is like being in a cult almost. So, I know the Republicans running against him are trying very hard. I don’t think they are going to be successful, given where we are. So then I think it is imperative on the country to once again defeat Trump and elect Biden.