Hillary Clinton warns Trump has 'cult' support, calls 2016 election 'pretty traumatic'

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed the "cult" of Trump followers and how she felt after her "traumatic" 2016 loss on "PBS Newshour" Tuesday night.

Speaking with host Geoff Bennett, Clinton made her pitch for President Biden, saying, "If you want a good job, if you want a big potential opportunity to grow the area you're living in — particularly rural areas because a lot of these projects are going into areas that have you know, real needs — Joe Biden has delivered for you."

She then remarked on the 2024 Republican presidential primary, lamenting former President Trump’s lead in the polls. She claimed that presented a "very sad commentary" on people’s connection to Trump and lamented its "cult" standing.

"But it's the emotional, psychological, cultural connection to someone who really has, unfortunately, manipulated social media and also some main — so-called mainstream media in a way that people believe what he says to them," Clinton said.

"And that's hard to break. It's like being in a cult, almost. And so I know the Republicans running against him are trying very hard. I don't think they're going to be successful, given where we are. So, then I think it's imperative on the country to once again defeat Trump and elect Biden," she continued.

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Clinton lost her presidential campaign against Trump in 2016. Prior to the election, she notably referred to half of Trump’s supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

"Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it," Clinton said. "There are people like that, and he has lifted them up."

She later apologized for the comment, acknowledging that she was "grossly generalistic."

At the end of the interview, Bennett pivoted to asking Clinton about her reaction to the 2016 election.

"In preparing to speak with you, I spoke to some of your supporters, even some people who worked in your campaign. And the question they asked me to ask you is, is she OK? And I think what they meant was, is she at peace? Does she feel fulfilled after the — I would imagine, the trauma of 2016?" Bennett asked.

"So, it was pretty traumatic, yes, yes," Clinton joked.

"So, how are you doing?" he reiterated.

"Yes, personally, I'm doing great," Clinton responded. "And I appreciate that question, because I get asked it all the time."

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Clinton has since cited many reasons for her 2016 loss including Russian interference and sexism. In 2018, she also suggested that another reason included married White women’s reluctance to vote against their husbands.

"We do not do well with White men, and we don’t do well with married, White women," Clinton said at a conference in Mumbai, India. "And part of that is an identification with the Republican Party, and a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

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Clinton also endorsed President Biden and Vice President Harris for the 2024 presidential election.

"I think that Biden/Harris deserves to be reelected. And I think we have to reelect them, given what the alternative is," Clinton said.

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