Former President BIll Clinton leapt to his wife’s defense Tuesday, insisting that she’s “not out of touch.”
Hillary Clinton, who hasn’t announced a presidential run but remains the early favorite for the 2016 Democratic nomination, has come under fire for remarks about her and her husband’s wealth, including saying they were “dead broke” when they left the White House in 2000.
“It is factually true that we were several million dollars in debt,” Mr. Clinton said at a Clinton Global Initiative event in Denver, the Hill reported.
Mr. Clinton urged journalists covering his wife to “put this in some sort of context,” noting that they have always championed the poor and even today rub elbows with regular folks at the neighborhood grocery store.
Mr. Clinton glossed over that he and Mrs. Clinton, who went on to serve as a U.S. senator from New York and secretary of state, were able amass millions of dollars from book deals and speaking fees after leaving the White House.
Mrs. Clinton also stumbled later when she tried to explain her wealth in an interview with the Guardian.
“We pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we’ve done it through dint of hard work,” she said.
The comment invited criticism from Republicans and Democrats.
In response to a question at the forum, Mr. Clinton said that voters don’t resent wealthy politicians.
“I don’t think most Americans resent somebody else doing well. They resent that they’re not getting a fair deal,” he said. “They want the bottom to grow. They want the middle to grow … You just have to be transparent and tell people the truth.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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