After keeping a relatively low profile since losing the Electoral College – and winning the popular vote by millions of ballots – Hillary Clinton emerged again on Tuesday to give a brutal takedown of the Trump administration’s attacks on women.
In a speech in San Francisco, the 2016 Democratic nominee targeted both Trump spokesman Sean Spicer and Fox News hack Bill O’Reilly for insulting “women who were simply doing their jobs.”
Video:
WATCH: And here’s the video of @HillaryClinton defending WH reporter @AprilDRyan and Congresswoman @MaxineWaters pic.twitter.com/VPK9doFxTe
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Clinton said:
Just look at all that’s happened in the last few days to women who were simply doing their jobs. April Ryan, an immensely respected journalist with unrivaled integrity, was doing her job just this afternoon, and she was patronized and cut off as she tried to ask a question. One of your own California congresswomen, Maxine Waters, was taunted with a racist joke about her hair. Too many women, especially women of color, have had a lifetime of practice taking precisely these kinds of indignities in stride. Any woman who thinks this couldn’t be directed at her is living in a dream world.
Clinton’s tough defense of women came after White House spokesman Sean Spicer treated veteran reporter April Ryan with blatant disrespect during the press briefing on Tuesday when she asked a valid question about how the president will repair his image.
“April, hold on, it seems like you’re hell-bent on trying to make sure that whatever image you want to tell about this White House stays,” he said, adding, “I’m sorry, please stop shaking your head again.”
The popular vote winner’s remarks also came in response to Bill O’Reilly’s racist comments this morning on Fox & Friends, when he reacted to footage of Maxine Waters delivering a speech by saying this:
“I didn’t hear a word she said,” O’Reilly remarked. “I was looking at the James Brown wig.”
While these are the kinds of offensive and despicable comments that some people think are appropriate to make now that a man like Donald Trump is in the White House, it’s still more important now than ever that Democrats – and principled Republicans – continue to stand up to them.
Respecting women isn’t a Democratic or Republican issue – it’s an American issue.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.