Hillary formally endorses Hochul at Dem convention after being met with NY jeers
Hillary Clinton sounded an awful lot like a presidential candidate Thursday during a speech to New York Democrats that mentioned Donald Trump, Jan. 6 and Fox News more times than Gov. Kathy Hochul — whom she was ostensibly there to endorse.
Clinton — who walked onstage to rousing applause and the song “Unstoppable” by Sia — began her remarks with warm words for the state’s Democratic officials and pandemic-related praise for its residents before quickly shifting into a full-throated attack on Trump and the national Republican Party.
“I know many of us hoped that defeating Trump would start to heal our divisions. I certainly did,” she said.
“But now it should be clear to all of us that the struggle for unity and democracy is far from over.”
And later, Hochul used her speech at the state Democratic Committee’s Nominating Convention in Midtown to salute Clinton’s return to the spotlight amid speculation she might mount her third bid for the White House.
“Welcome back, Hillary Clinton,” Hochul proclaimed.
“It is so great to see you, and to hear your voice of reason…You’ve always inspired me, you and every single elected woman who came before me, made historic moments like this possible.”
In endorsing Hochul’s campaign for a full term as governor, Clinton brought up her name just five times — while invoking Trump three times, and the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol and Fox News twice each.
Clinton also alluded to the latest chapter in the “Russiagate” scandal, which saw special counsel John Durham file court papers last week that accused her 2016 campaign of paying for computer research in an effort to create “an inference” and “narrative” linking Trump and the Kremlin.
“By the way, they’ve been coming after me again lately, in case you might have noticed,” she said of the independent Durham probe.
“It’s funny, the more trouble Trump gets into, the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get . . . Fox leads the charge with accusations against me, counting on their audience to fall for it again.”
And she blasted the GOP with a broad brush, saying, “Republicans are descending into coup-plotters.”
Clinton also referenced former Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s libel suit against The New York Times when she said of Fox: “And as an aside, they’re getting awfully close to actual malice in their attacks.”
A Manhattan federal jury ruled against Palin on Tuesday, one day after the judge said he’d dismiss the case because there was no evidence showing “actual malice” led to a 2017 Times editorial that erroneously tied her political action committee to the shooting of former US Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Clinton’s speech followed a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month in which Democratic pollster Doug Schoen and former Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein said she was “already in an advantageous position to become the 2024 Democratic nominee.”
They cited President Joe Biden’s age and low approval ratings, as well as the “unpopularity” of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Following Clinton’s appearance at Thursday’s convention, Republican pollster John McLaughlin concluded she was “definitely keeping the door open” to running for president again.
“She doesn’t think Biden is running for reelection,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin also said a poll he conducted last month showed a Clinton candidacy would be great news for Republicans because it showed Trump beating her by 10 points, 51 percent to 41 percent.
Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway also said, “I think Republicans would welcome a Hillary candidacy. It’s the next best thing to Biden-Harris running again.”
“She clearly has not been vaccinated or boosted against Trump derangement syndrome,” Conway said.
“She missed a chance today to sound like a statesman, president-in-waiting, leader, visionary and instead she sounds like an anti-Trump CNN segment — and with about the same number of viewers.”
On her way into and out of the Sheraton Times Square New York Hotel, Clinton was greeted with jeers of “Lock her up!” from a small group of protesters, including a woman who held a handwritten sign calling her “Evil Killary.”
Another woman wore a shirt that said “WE WILL NOT COMPLY” and held a Canadian flag sign in apparent solidarity with the truckers opposed to that country’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Hochul was also heckled inside the convention by about 10 pro-tenant activists who disrupted her speech while waving enlarged photos of her with the words “Evictor-In-Chief” printed on a white banner across her forehead.
The group was shouted down by Hochul’s supporters before being ejected by security workers.
Earlier, Hochul was named the Democratic nominee for governor after winning the support of more than 85 percent of the delegates, party chairman Jay Jacobs said.
City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams got 12.4 percent and Queens lawyer Paul Nichols got 1.9 percent, both falling far short of the 25 percent threshold to qualify for a June 28 primary election.
Additional reporting by Steven Nelson
