While appearing as a guest on the Tuesday edition of ABC's The View daytime program, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton touched on a number of topics, including abortion, religion and her primary opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
However, one of the most interesting things she did was praise Megyn Kelly -- the host of The Kelly File weeknight program on the Fox News Channel -- as "a superb journalist,” a comment that drew quick responses of “Yes, she is,” from the other women seated at the table.
The topic began when Clinton described “three big tests” political candidates face when they run for a government post.
The first challenge she noted was: “Can you actually deliver results for people and not just talk about it?”
Next came “Can you keep us safe?” She then stated: “To me, that's the biggest of all the commander-in-chief's responsibilities.” That remark drew applause from people in the audience.
Finally, she asked: “How do you bring us together?”
Clinton continued:
I don't like all this divisiveness. I think it's absolutely appropriate for people to have different political opinions. That's what makes us America.
But the mean-spiritedness, the hate rhetoric, the incitement of violence -- all of that, I think, is really dangerous, so I'm going to keep trying to unify people the best I can."
Comedian and panelist Joy Behar then stated: “Women seem to be under fire right now more than ever.”
“You have Heidi Cruz, the wives of candidates being attacked about their looks,” Behar stated. “You have a female reporter being assaulted, you have Donald Trump saying things like 'Women who have abortions should be punished.' I mean, it's frightening.”
“What do you think will happen to women if a Republican gets in [the White House] -- if Trump wins, god forbid?” she asked.
“Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen,” the Democratic candidate responded. “For me, the way he's conducted his campaign, the things he's said, and he has insulted everybody, and he has demeaned everybody.”
“He started, on his very first day, saying that all Mexican immigrants were rapists and criminals, right?” Clinton asked. “And then he moved on to attack people with disabilities; he attacked John McCain, who's a friend of mine” by saying the Republican senator from Arizona “wasn't really a war hero because he was captured. He was a POW (Prisoner of War) for years, and he was so brave.”
“And then, of course, going after American Muslims,” she stated. “And his attitude about what he has said about so many women – the way he treated Megyn Kelly, who is a superb journalist.”
The View panelists quickly agreed with Clinton's assessment of the Fox News Channel anchor: “Yes, she is!”
“I just don't understand what he thinks is the role of somebody running for president,” the Democratic front-runner asserted. “I don't think it is to scapegoat people, divide people, engage in this kind of, you know, prejudice and paranoia.”
“And so, it's not only women and we who should be concerned. It's everybody because of the way that he conducts himself,” she stated, again drawing applause from the studio audience.
Behar continued the topic by noting that Trump “has a lot of fans. I mean, he has many people who are following him. Why?”
“Well,” Clinton replied, “he does have a lot of people who are voting in the Republican primaries, but to put it into a broader perspective, I have more votes than he does. I have a million more votes.”
“I don't think the vast majority of Americans, let's hope, want to reward that kind of behavior and that sort of, really, hateful rhetoric,” she added.
Also on Tuesday, in an article on the Variety website entitled “How Megyn Kelly Survived Donald Trump,” New York Bureau Chief Ramin Setoodah noted that her prime-time show “has never done better, averaging 2.5 million nightly viewers.”
The newsman asked Kelly if she thinks Trump’s attacks on her are different because she's a woman.
“I think the language is very different when he fights with women,” she replied.
Setoocah then inquired: “Has it been hard for you?”
“It has not been enjoyable,” Kelly answered. “I wish it hadn’t happened. I hope it will stop -- his focus on me.”
Instead, the FNC host would like to interview Hillary Clinton, but “she’s surrounded by so many circles, it’s like you can’t get through.”
“I hope she’s not going to govern like this,” Kelly stated. “Am I really that scary? I’m a tough interviewer when it comes to these politicians, for sure. But how can she say she deserves George Washington’s job and not sit with me?”
After all, Clinton said she considers Kelly "a superb journalist." How could she turn down an interview with someone she rates so highly?
