Clinton: Trump Not Qualified To Be President

Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, is upping her attacks against de facto general election rival Donald Trump. During a recent interview, Clinton said that Trump was not fit to be president.

“I know how hard this job is, and I know that we need steadiness as well as strength and smarts in it, and I have concluded he is not qualified to be president of the United States,” Clinton told CNN of the presumptive Republican nominee.

In April, Clinton skirted the issue more loosely. When asked by CNN’s Jake Tepper if she believed Trump was qualified for the highest office, Clinton said, “Well, the voters will have to decide. I’m going to lay out my qualifications to be president.”

Clinton took aim more recently at Trump’s “divisive and dangerous” rhetoric, including calls to ban all Muslims from entering the country, and various misogynist and bigoted comments.

“When you run for president of the United States, the entire world is listening and watching,” Clinton said. “So when you say you’re going to bar all Muslims, you’re sending evidence to the Muslim world, and you’re also sending a message to terrorists. …,” Clinton added. “Donald Trump is essentially being used as a recruiter for more people to join the cause of terrorism.”

When asked to respond to Trump’s claim that Hillary Clinton’s husband, former president Bill Clinton, was an “enabler” and mistreated woman, Hillary picked her response carefully.

“I know that’s exactly what he’s fishing for, and I’m not going to be responding,” Clinton said.

“I’m going after him exactly on those issues and statements that are divisive and dangerous, and I actually think that’s what the American people want to see,” the former secretary of state added.

According to the New York Times, Clinton was asked what advice her mother would give her in the face of the – likely brutal – general election battle.

“I think it would be the same advice that my mother always gave me,” Clinton began. “Which is everybody gets knocked down and knocked around in life. The real test is whether you get up and keep going.” 

Sources: CNN, The New York Times / Photo credit: hillaryclinton/Instagram