During her softball interview with Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine on Monday, self-avowed Hillary Clinton supporter Ellen DeGeneres bemoaned a supposed double standard against the former Secretary of State: “So Hillary is, it seems – and I've said this before – that she is held to a different standard than Donald Trump is. Would you agree with that?”
Kaine predictably agreed: “Yeah, I think that's true.” DeGeneres continued: “...because she’s an amazing woman but there's so much judgment on her charm, her personality, whatever...” Kaine lamented: “Do you smile enough? You know, ‘She doesn't look presidential, does she fellas?’ Which is, you know, what Donald Trump said.... But that is a challenge that she's had to deal with her whole life and she's got to deal with today.”
DeGeneres ranted against Clinton being accountable for her scandals: “So I mean, because the thing about what she's being attack for is not releasing the e-mails or not – whatever, you know, whatever it is today – and yet, Donald Trump doesn't release his tax returns. So why is he not – why isn't he getting attacked for not releasing his tax returns?”
Kaine went along with the fiction of Clinton getting worse treatment than Trump: “To the same degree. And you know, it should happen.”
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He then recited campaign talking points:
And what I often say, Ellen, to people, if you want to know the character of somebody in public life, the way to do this, look and see if they have a passion that started before they were in politics and then look and see if they've held on to that passion throughout their life, whether they were winning or losing or in office or not. And Hillary has had this passion for empowering families and kids and measuring society by how families and kids are doing. And she has held on to that from the time she was in a Methodist youth group in the suburbs of Chicago to today. That’s what she's worried about when she goes to sleep, it’s what she’s worried about when she gets up, and it’s what she'll be thinking about when she's president. And that's a pretty good way to tell who she is, and I see that every day.
DeGeneres gushed: “Yeah, well, that's – you know, that alone to me when you look at, like you said, just you know, how long she's been doing it and how much passion she has for it.”
Here is a transcript of the exchange aired on September 21:
3:48 PM ET
(...)
ELLEN DEGENERES: So Hillary is, it seems – and I've said this before – that she is held to a different standard than Donald Trump is. Would you agree with that?
TIM KAINE: Yeah, I think that's true.
DEGENERES: Yeah, so she's – because she’s an amazing woman but there's so much judgment on her charm, her personality, whatever –
KAINE: Do you smile enough? You know, “She doesn't look presidential, does she fellas?” Which is, you know, what Donald Trump said. So – but it's not just her. I mean, we were talking a little bit about this. We all know we haven't had a woman president, but here's something that's pretty amazing. We have 19% women in Congress right now, and that’s the most we’ve ever had in this country, and that ranks us 75th in the world. And so, we have had a uniquely difficult challenge in this country in electing women to federal office and there's a whole series of reasons, I’d probably understand some of them, but I don't understand others. But that is a challenge that she's had to deal with her whole life and she's got to deal with today.
DEGENERES: Yeah, well, and I think she's handling it really well because I don't think that I could take the – you know, the constant attacks and judgment, but I guess that's what happens when you're running for office.
KAINE: Yeah.
DEGENERES: So I mean, because the thing about what she's being attack for is not releasing the e-mails or not – whatever, you know, whatever it is today – and yet, Donald Trump doesn't release his tax returns.
KAINE: Right.
DEGENERES: So why is he not – why isn't he getting attacked for not releasing his tax returns?
KAINE: To the same degree. And you know, it should happen. But you know, what I say, I've got to know Hillary pretty well. I knew – I worked with her in different capacities before I was on the ticket, but now you really get to know each other. And what I often say, Ellen, to people, if you want to know the character of somebody in public life, the way to do this, look and see if they have a passion that started before they were in politics and then look and see if they've held on to that passion throughout their life, whether they were winning or losing or in office or not. And Hillary has had this passion for empowering families and kids and measuring society by how families and kids are doing. And she has held on to that from the time she was in a Methodist youth group in the suburbs of Chicago to today. That’s what she's worried about when she goes to sleep, it’s what she’s worried about when she gets up, and it’s what she'll be thinking about when she's president. And that's a pretty good way to tell who she is, and I see that every day.
DEGENERES: Yeah, well, that's – you know, that alone to me when you look at, like you said, just you know, how long she's been doing it and how much passion she has for it.
(...)
