Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday that Hillary Clinton’s history of public service should override her comments on her family’s wealth to show that she is in touch with the struggles of the middle class.
“She’s not out of touch and she’s advocated and worked as a senator for things that were good for ordinary people,” Mr. Clinton said of his wife on NBC’s “Meet the Press. “I remember when we were in law school, she was out trying to get legal assistance for poor people, she was trying to work on paid leave for pregnant mothers in the 1970s.”
Mrs. Clinton has been criticized for complaining that her family was “dead broke” after leaving the White House, despite getting paid millions for speaking engagements and receiving a large advance for her book since serving as first lady.
Mr. Clinton said Americans should focus more on the former secretary of state’s policy actions and statements and less on one comment that Mrs. Clinton has since cleaned up. Still, he said it is “factually true” that the family was “several million dollars” in debt after leaving the White House.
While the family has been “blessed” to become wealthy in the years since, Mr. Clinton said that doesn’t mean his wife is unaware of problems facing the middle class and the demise of the American dream.
“If you’ve been fortunate enough to be successful, are you now out of touch?” he said.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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