Read Hillary Clinton’s Remarks on Brett Kavanaugh
In Senate testimony last week, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh denounced the sexual-assault and misconduct allegations against him as a “political hit” and part of a left-wing conspiracy orchestrated “on behalf of the Clintons.” On Tuesday, in an interview with Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C., Hillary Clinton offered her first public response to Kavanaugh’s claims. She also warned about the ongoing threat to U.S. election security posed by Russia, discussed whether she would classify President Trump as a racist, and described what she sees as existing threats to democracy.
Below, a transcript of the interview.
Hillary Clinton: Thanks. Thank you.
Jeffrey Goldberg: They like you. They like you.
They really like you. The—welcome everyone and thank you all for being here. Thank you Margaret, thank you everyone. Thank you, Secretary Clinton.
We are, in a relatively brief period of time, going to talk about a whole bunch of important things: the future of Democracy, the future of America, Russia, a couple other countries maybe as well.
But I want to start with you just on—on the events of the past week. In his extraordinary presentation in the Senate, Brett Kavanaugh said that the, quote, "political hit job," end quote, directed at him was being done on behalf of the Clintons, among other people.
Your response?
Clinton: I mean, really, yes. It deserves a lot of laughter.
I wasn't watching when he said that; I was having to be somewhere else and away from a TV and even my phone. And so I heard about it later and—you know, look, I thought it was just part of the whole of his very defensive and, you know, unconvincing presentation.
And I told someone later, boy, I'll tell you, they give us a lot of credit.
Thirty-six years ago we started this against—against him. I mean it is ...
Goldberg: Back at Yale.
Clinton: Yeah, well, even before, in high school apparently.
So I—I don't—you know, look, I want the FBI to conduct as thorough an investigation as they possibly can within whatever restraints are imposed upon them. But I think for anyone who believes there's such a thing as a judicial temperament and that we want judges, particularly those on our highest court, to approach issues, approach plaintiffs and defendants, with a sense of fairness, that there's a lot to be concerned about.
Goldberg: Right. I want to ask you a question about Dr. Ford for a minute. There are a lot of Democrats who—and a lot of other people—who are absolutely certain, 100 percent, her—her recollection is the absolute truth.
I'm asking you this as a lawyer. Do you feel 100 percent certain that the events that she described are true and are, therefore, disqualifying?
