Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently opened up about her 2016 presidential election loss, suggesting that gender expectations played a significant role in her defeat. In a candid interview with the New York Times published Saturday, Clinton reflected on the unique challenges she faced as the first female major party presidential nominee.
According to Clinton, her loss wasn’t due to external factors often cited such as Russian interference or other widely discussed issues. Instead, she believes that her failure to resonate with female voters stemmed from the high standards of perfection expected from women. “They left me because they just couldn’t take a risk on me, because as a woman, I’m supposed to be perfect,” Clinton expressed, highlighting the double standards in political risk tolerance between genders.
Don’t miss this! Carry faith with you everywhere with the Exclusive National Prayer Coin!
She contrasted her situation with that of Donald Trump, noting that despite his numerous flaws and controversies, voters were more forgiving because he is a man. “They were willing to take a risk on Trump—who had a long list of, let’s call them flaws, to illustrate his imperfection—because he was a man, and they could envision a man as president and commander in chief,” she said.
Clinton also revisited the painful episode of the FBI’s last-minute investigation into her use of a private email server, which she believes significantly damaged her standing with female voters. The reopening of the email case by then-FBI Director James Comey just days before the election, she asserts, led directly to a loss of support among women.
