Andrea Mitchell scored an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Friday, but spent the entire interview peppering the senator with questions about Hillary Clinton. This included pushing Sanders on whether Bill Clinton's claim of innocence would be enough to drop any investigation into the family's foundation.
She wondered, "Bill Clinton said in an interview that nobody sought any favors, none of the donors to the family foundation... So he said, basically, there's no conflict of interest to worry about." After Sanders attempted to talk about his own candidacy, Mitchell reiterated, "But is Bill Clinton correct when he says there isn't a conflict of interest between donors to the family foundation and what she did as Secretary of State, what she would do as president if she were nominated and elected?"
This prompted the self-declared socialist to retort, "I have concerns about anyone who is dependent on huge campaign contributors. But you'll have to ask Hillary Clinton for more details on that."
So, according to the Andrea Mitchell Reports host, the Clintons investigate themselves and that should be enough for everyone else?
All seven of Mitchell's questions to Sanders related to Clinton. One seemed as though it would focus just on issues, but the journalist still took it back to her favorite topic: "You've been very passionate about trade. What about Hillary Clinton on the trade issue?"
Considering the Sanders interview was all about Clinton, only one of the questions could be described as tough: "Polls show that she is losing support of people, more people now than don't – than not think she's not trustworthy. She's upside down in that."
A transcript of Mitchell's questions can be found below:
Andrea Mitchell Reports
6/12/15
12:16ANDREA MITCHELL: You're heading to Iowa. First of all, Hillary Clinton's relaunch. What's your response to this whole reintroduction of Hillary Clinton? It's her first public event of this campaign that's lasted two months now.
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MITCHELL: She says she's been on a listening tour and she's talking about the need to get money out of politics. So, what is the difference between you and her if you are a Democratic voter and you have a choice.
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MITCHELL: Bill Clinton said in an interview that nobody sought any favors, none of the donors to the family foundation. And he said, "I don't think that Hillary Clinton, either as secretary of State would know who those donors were." So he said, basically, there's no conflict of interest to worry about....
MITCHELL: But is Bill Clinton correct when he says there isn't a conflict of interest between donors to the family foundation and what she did as Secretary of State, what she would do as president if she were nominated and elected?
BERNIE SANDERS: I have concerns about anyone who is dependent on huge campaign contributors. But you'll have to ask Hillary Clinton for more details on that.
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MITCHELL: And do you think there is a trust issue? Polls show that she is losing support of people, more people now than don't – than not think she's not trustworthy. She's upside down in that.
SANDERS: What I've said in this campaign is that I'm not running against Hillary Clinton. I'm running to take on a billionaire class I this country that has enormous power.
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MITCHELL: And let's say trade.
SANDERS: Good.
MITCHELL: You've been very passionate about trade. What about Hillary Clinton on the trade issue?
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MITCHELL: Well, you say you're not running against her. But for the nomination, you are running against her.
