On Friday's NBC Nightly News, Andrea Mitchell touted how Hillary Clinton "will get personal" at her upcoming NYC campaign rally, and that she will be "focusing on her late mother, Dorothy Rodham – twice abandoned as a child by her parents; forced to make her way across country and work as a maid." Mitchell played two clips from a campaign video where Mrs. Clinton spoke highly of her mom, and underlined that "Clinton credits her mother for her passion and values – especially fighting for women and children – one reason she wants to be president." [video below]
The journalist did point out how socialist Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is "challenging her [Clinton] from the left" and that "recent polls show a big jump in the number of people who think she's not honest or trustworthy since the controversies over her e-mails and donations to the family foundation." But she also played up that "Clinton is counting on people caring more about her plans for the future than the past."
Anchor Lester Holt introduced Mitchell's report by spotlighting that "this weekend will bring the most critical moment yet in these early days of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. She's holding a much-hyped event here in New York, where she plans to get personal and show voters a side they may never have seen before." The NBC correspondent noted that "she's [Clinton] been listening to small, carefully-selected groups till now," before continuing with her "get personal" line about the former first lady's mother.
Later in the segment, after disclosing the "big jump in the number of people who think she's not honest or trustworthy," Mitchell reported that "Bill Clinton will appear with her tomorrow – his first in this campaign. On CNN, he denied she did favors for his donors." She followed the clip of the former president defending his wife with a clip of former Governor Jeb Bush spotlighting Mrs. Clinton's four years as secretary of state.
The transcript of Andrea Mitchell's report from Friday's NBC Nightly News:
LESTER HOLT: This weekend will bring the most critical moment yet in these early days of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. She's holding a much-hyped event here in New York, where she plans to get personal and show voters a side they may never have seen before.
NBC's Andrea Mitchell has the details.
ANDREA MITCHELL (voice-over): She's been listening to small, carefully-selected groups till now. Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton's first campaign rally will get personal – focusing on her late mother, Dorothy Rodham – twice abandoned as a child by her parents; forced to make her way across country and work as a maid.
HILLARY CLINTON (voice-over, from Hillary For America video): My mom, who never got to go to college, could see her daughter go to college.
MITCHELL: Clinton credits her mother for her passion and values – especially fighting for women and children – one reason she wants to be president.
CLINTON: Everyday Americans and their families need a champion – a champion who will fight for them every single day.
MITCHELL: The backdrop: a New York park named for Franklin Roosevelt.
Challenging her from the left, Senator Bernie Sanders – slamming Clinton today for ducking tough issues.
MITCHELL (on-camera, from MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports): What about Hillary Clinton on the trade issue?
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, (D), VERMONT: It is hard for me to understand how any candidate – Hillary Clinton or anybody else – cannot have a position on what is a major, major issue facing the American people. You're for it or against it, but you've got to have a position.
MITCHELL: Clinton is dominating the Democratic field, but recent polls show a big jump in the number of people who think she's not honest or trustworthy since the controversies over her e-mails and donations to the family foundation.
Bill Clinton will appear with her tomorrow – his first in this campaign. On CNN, he denied she did favors for his donors.
FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: (from interview on CNN's The Lead With Jake Tapper): I never saw her study a list of my contributors or – and I had no idea who was doing business before the State Department.
FORMER GOVERNOR JEB BUSH, (R), FLORIDA: Mrs. Clinton was the secretary of state for four years under President Obama, and she has a record. And it's a record that she'll have to defend.
MITCHELL (live): Clinton is counting on people caring more about her plans for the future than the past. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington.
