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| Campaign | 2016 Democratic primaries 2016 U.S. presidential election |
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| Affiliation | Democratic Party |
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| Receipts | US$585,699,061.27[4] (December 31, 2016) |
| Slogans | When they go low, we go high |
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Personal First Lady of Arkansas First Lady of the United States
U.S. Senator from New York U.S. Secretary of State | ||
In 2016,Hillary Clinton ran unsuccessfully forpresident of the United States. Clinton ran as theDemocratic Party's candidate for president, in which she became the first woman to win a presidential nomination by a major U.S. political party. Prior to running, Clinton served as theUnited States secretary of state in the administration ofBarack Obama from 2009 to 2013, aU.S. senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009, and thefirst lady of the United States, as the wife ofBill Clinton, from 1993 to 2001. She was defeated in thegeneral election by theRepublican candidate, businessmanDonald Trump.
Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.[5] Her main competitor in theDemocratic primaries was Vermont SenatorBernie Sanders, who ran as a more progressive candidate in the primary. Clinton became thepresumptive nominee of theDemocratic Party on June 6, 2016, having received the required number of delegates.[6] On July 22, she announced Virginia SenatorTim Kaine as her running mate, and the two were formally nominated at the2016 Democratic National Convention on July 26.[7][8]
Clinton received the most support from middle aged and older voters, as well as from African-American, Latino, and older female voters. She focused her platform on several issues, including expanding racial,LGBTQ, and women's rights; raising wages and ensuring equal pay for women; and improving healthcare.
Clinton lost thegeneral election to RepublicanDonald Trump on November 9, 2016; she conceded the following day.[9][10] Clinton's narrow, unprecedented losses in theblue wall states ofMichigan,Pennsylvania, andWisconsin were considered key to her defeat. These states all had swings from voters who had previously voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 yet went for Trump in 2016. These states have largely rely on manufacturing and part Trump’s campaign appeal was that he would end international trade agreements that hurt American manufacturing. He was outspoken on trade issues.[1] Had Clinton been elected, she would have been the first female and first spouse of a president to serve as president of the United States, whereas her daughter,Chelsea Clinton, would also have been the first acting first lady sinceMargaret Woodrow Wilson.
As soon as Clinton ended her2008 Democratic presidential primary election campaign and conceded to Barack Obama, there was talk of her running again in 2012 or 2016.[11] After she ended her tenure as Secretary of State in 2013, speculation picked up sharply, particularly when she listed her occupation on social media as "TBD". In the meantime, Clinton earned over $11 million giving 51 paid speeches to various organizations, includingGoldman Sachs and otherWall Street banks.[12] The speeches, and Clinton's not releasing their transcripts, would be raised as an issue by her opponents during the upcoming primary[13] and general election campaigns.[14] In October 2016,leaked excerpts from a Goldman Sachs Q&A session cast doubts about her support for the 2010Dodd–Frank financial oversight legislation.[15]
Anticipating a future run, a "campaign-in-waiting" began to take shape in 2014, including a largedonor network, experiencedoperatives, theReady for Hillary andPriorities USA Action campaignpolitical action committees (PACs), and othercampaign infrastructure.[16]
By September 2013, amid continual political and media speculation, Clinton said she was considering a run but was in no hurry to decide.[17] In late 2013, Clinton toldABC'sBarbara Walters that she would "look carefully at what I think I can do and make that decision sometime next year";[18] and told ABC'sDiane Sawyer in June 2014 that she would "be on the way to making a decision before the end of the year."[19]
While many political analysts came to assume during this time that Clinton would run, she took a long time to make the decision.[20] While Clinton said she spent much of the two years following her tenure, as Secretary of State, thinking about the possibility of running for president again, she was also noncommittal about the prospect, and appeared to some as reluctant to experience again the unpleasant aspects of a major political campaign.[21] Those around her were split in their opinions, reportedly, with Bill Clinton said to be the most in favor of her running again,Chelsea Clinton leaning towards it, but several of her closest aides against it.[20][21] She reportedly studied Obama's 2008 campaign to see what had gone right for Obama as compared to her own campaign.[21] Not until December 2014, around the time of the Clintons' annual winter vacation in theDominican Republic, did she say she decided for sure that she would indeed run again.[20][21]
According tonationwide opinion polls in early 2015, Clinton was considered the front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.[17][22][23] She had gained a broader sweep of early endorsements from theDemocratic Party establishment in the 2016 race than she did in 2008,[24][25] although she did faceseveral primary election challengers,[26][27] and, in August 2015 Vice PresidentJoe Biden was reported to be seriously considering a possible challenge to Clinton.[28]
Clinton had a very high name recognition of an estimated 99% (only 11% of all voters said they did not know enough about her to form an opinion) and according to DemocraticpollsterCelinda Lake, she has had strong support from African-Americans, and among college-educated women and single women.[29]
InTime magazine's 2015 list of "The 100 Most Influential People", Clinton praised Massachusetts SenatorElizabeth Warren, who herself was considered as a potential challenger to Clinton, for being a "progressive champion".[30] Warren decided not to run for president, despite pressure from someprogressives.[31]
The Clinton campaign had planned for a delayed announcement, possibly as late as July 2015.[32][33][34]
On April 3, 2015, it was reported that Clinton had taken a lease on a small office at 1 Pierrepont Plaza inBrooklyn, New York City. It was widely speculated that the space would serve as her campaign headquarters.[35][36]
On April 12, 2015, Clinton released aYouTube videoformally announcing her candidacy viaemail. She stated that, "Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion."[37][38][39][40] The week following her announcement, she traveled to early primary states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Clinton was the third candidate with support in national polls to announce her candidacy, following Republican SenatorsTed Cruz ofTexas andRand Paul ofKentucky, whileFlorida SenatorMarco Rubio announced his candidacy on April 13, the day after Clinton. Some Democrats saw the proximity of Clinton's campaign announcement to Rubio's as advantageous, as Clinton's announcement might overshadow Rubio's.[41]
Clinton's campaign logo was unveiled on April 12, 2015, featuring a blueH with a red arrow through the middle.[42]
Clinton began her campaign by making short trips to early primary and caucus states.[37] Immediately following her announcement, she made a two-dayroad trip in a customizedChevrolet Express van, nicknamed afterScooby-Doo, going from New York to Iowa, and stopping several times along the way, including a much publicized stop at aChipotle Mexican Grill outsideToledo, Ohio, where Clinton was not recognized by the staff.[43][44][45] The trip gained considerable media attention and was, according to her campaign, intended as a bit ofpolitical theater.[46][47]
Clinton responded to very few questions from the press during the first month of her campaign. During her visits to early primary and caucus states, she did not hold any formalpress conferences, and did not participate in any media interviews.[48][49] On May 19, 2015, after 28 days, Clinton answered some questions from reporters at an event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[50] Clinton's campaign announced she would make additional stops in Florida, Texas, and Missouri in May and June.[51]
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Clinton held her first majorcampaign rally on June 13, 2015, atFranklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip ofNew York City'sRoosevelt Island.
In her speech, Clinton addressedincome inequality in the United States, specifically endorsed universalpre-kindergarten, paidfamily leave,equal pay for women, college affordability, and incentives for companies that provideprofit sharing to employees.[52] She did not addressfree trade agreements during the kickoff speech,[53] but made statements the next day suggesting that the current negotiations should be abandoned unless improved.[54]
The campaign said more than 5,500 people were in attendance, but estimates of crowd size by the press in attendance were less.[55]
According to John Cassidy, staff writer atThe New Yorker, Clinton, up to a point, took a populist tone:[56]
While many of you are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, you see the top twenty-five hedge-fund managers making more than all of America's kindergarten teachers combined. And often paying a lower tax rate. So, you have to wonder, 'When does my hard work pay off? When does my family get ahead? When?'[56]
Prosperity can't be just for C.E.O.s and hedge-fund managers. Democracy can't be just for billionaires and corporations. Prosperity and democracy are part of your basic bargain, too. You brought our country back. Now it's time—your time—to secure the gains and move ahead.[56]
On June 15, 2015, South Carolina SenatorClementa C. Pinckney, who had campaigned for Clinton earlier that day, was murdered along with eight others in theCharleston Church shooting.[57] Clinton postponed campaign activities to join PresidentBarack Obama, Vice PresidentJoe Biden, and other dignitaries at Pinckney's funeral in Charleston on June 26, 2015.[58]
In August 2015, the Clinton campaign began a $2 million television advertising buy in Iowa and New Hampshire.[59] The ads featured footage of Clinton's late mother,Dorothy Rodham, and of Clinton herself,[59] and featured women, family, and children.[59]
In a review of Clinton's 32 general election TV ads, the Associated Press found that 24 of those ads show or mention Trump.[60] The majority of those 24 ads feature raw footage of him rather than others opining on his words and actions.[60]
Clinton focused her candidacy on several themes, including raising middle class incomes, expanding women's rights, instituting campaign finance reform, and improving theAffordable Care Act.
In March 2016, she laid out a detailed economic plan, whichThe New York Times called "optimistic" and "wide-ranging".[61] Basing her economic philosophy oninclusive capitalism, Clinton proposed a "clawback" which would rescind tax relief and other benefits for companies that move jobs overseas; providing incentives for companies that share profits with employees, communities and the environment, rather than focusing on short-term profits to increase stock value and rewarding shareholders; increasing collective bargaining rights; and placing an "exit tax" on companies that move their headquarters out of America in order to pay a lower tax rate overseas.[61] Clinton opposed theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), supported theU.S. Export-Import Bank, and stated that "any trade deal has to produce jobs and raise wages and increase prosperity and protect our security".[62][63]
Given the climate of unlimited campaign contributions following the Supreme Court'sCitizens United decision, Clinton called for aconstitutional amendment to limit "unaccountable money" in politics.[64] In July 2016, she "committed" to introducing a U.S. constitutional amendment that would result in overturning the 2010 Citizens United decision.[65][66]
On social issues, Clinton explicitly focused on family issues, particularlyuniversal preschool.[64] Clinton also prioritized closing thegender pay gap[67] and reaffirmed that she believed that a right to same-sex marriage is protected by the U.S. constitution.[64] Clinton stated that allowing undocumented immigrants to have a path to citizenship "[i]s at its heart a family issue."[68]
Clinton expressed support for theCommon Core educational initiative,[69] saying, "The really unfortunate argument that's been going on around Common Core, it's very painful because the Common Core started off as a bipartisan effort. It was actually nonpartisan. It wasn't politicized.... Iowa has had a testing system based on a core curriculum for a really long time. And [speaking to Iowans] you see the value of it, you understand why that helps you organize your whole education system. And a lot of states unfortunately haven't had that, and so don't understand the value of a core, in this sense a Common Core."[70]
In a December 7, 2015The New York Times article, Clinton presented her detailed plans forregulating Wall Street financial activities by reining in the largest institutions to limit risky behavior, appointing strong regulators, and holding executives accountable.[71]
Clinton supported maintaining American influence in the Middle East. She publicly opposed Trump's call to ban Muslims from the United States as "shameful" and "dangerous". She also claimed Trump's statement was "a reflection of much of the rest of his party", as "many GOP candidates have also said extreme things about Muslims".[72] Clinton told theAmerican Israel Public Affairs Committee, "America can't ever be neutral when it comes to Israel's security and survival."[73]
Clinton campaign strategists reportedly believed that a strongliberal campaign would mobilize the same voters who swept Barack Obama to victory in 2008 and 2012. Her strategy of embracing Obama's policies proved highly effective with African American Democratic voters in the South Carolina Democratic primary.[74][75][76][77]
By March 2016 Clinton's nomination seemed likely, so efforts turned to structuring a campaign against Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee,[78] and determining how to generate enthusiasm for Clinton among the Democratic electorate, which had not turned out in large numbers for primaries.[79]
Clinton began the campaign with near-universal name recognition among voters, having been First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State.[80]
When Clinton campaigned she identified local issues of interest to the Democratic voters of each state she visited. For example, in Mississippi, she expressed her concern about lead levels in the water in Jackson, the capital, where it was a major issue.[81]
Over the course of her campaign, Clinton emphasized her experience and record in public life, particularly asU.S. Secretary of State.[82][83] Clinton also emphasized "the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House" in times of uncertainty, as well as the need to maintain the U.S.'s alliances across theAtlantic and the world.[84][85]
Clinton has had an uneasy, and at times adversarial relationship with the press throughout her life in public service.[86] Weeks before her official entry as a presidential candidate, Clinton attended a political press corps event, pledging to start fresh on what she described as a "complicated" relationship with political reporters.[87] Clinton was initially criticized by the press for avoiding taking their questions,[88][89] after which she provided more interviews.
Clinton had access to the same technological tools that were used inBarack Obama's presidential campaign of 2012 and2008.[90] A team of over 50 engineers and developers previously withGoogle,Facebook, andTwitter was hired.[91] The campaign usedTimshel'sThe Groundwork platform for organizing data generated by mass e-mail programs, tracking donors, and analyzing marketing databases.[92][93]
In October 2016, the Clinton campaign had 489 field offices compared to Trump's 178.[94] For context, Obama had 786 and some reports over 800 national field offices in 2012.[94][95] Political science research suggests that there is a modest positive relationship between field offices and vote share.[94][96]
Throughout the general election campaign, Clinton consistently led Trump in fundraising. Through August 2016, Clinton, theDemocratic National Committee and Clinton's main super PAC,Priorities USA Action, had raised more than $59.5 million, while Trump had brought in $41.7 million.[97] According to a September 2016 analysis by theCenter for Public Integrity, "More than 1,100 elite moneymen and women have collectively raised more than $113 million" for Clinton's campaign. These bundlers, who collected checks from friends or associates and gave them to the campaign, included "lawmakers, entertainment icons and titans of industry"; among them wereBen Affleck,George Lucas,Marissa Mayer, andSheryl Sandberg.[98]
According to an article inThe Washington Post, Clinton's presidential campaign benefited from a network of donors whom she and her husband, former PresidentBill Clinton, had "methodically cultivated... over 40 years, from Little Rock to Washington and then across the globe. Their fundraising methods have created a new blueprint for politicians and their donors."[99] By the end of September 2015, the campaign's fundraising effort for "Clinton's 2016 White House run ... has already drawn $110 million in support".[99]
In response to the article, a campaign spokesman said that "it would be misleading, at best, to conflate donations to a philanthropy with political giving. ... And regarding the campaign contributions, the breadth and depth of their support is a testament to the fact that they have both dedicated their lives to public service and fighting to make this country stronger."[99] As thePost article pointed out, fundraising for the 2016 presidential campaign existed "in a dramatically different environment" than in the past, and the 2010Citizens United v. FEC decision and ruling by "theSupreme Court has made it easier for wealthy individuals, corporations and unions to spend huge, unregulated sums on political activity".[99]
In August 2015, the Clinton campaign announced that it had signed a joint fundraising agreement with theDemocratic National Committee.[100] The campaign set up a joint fundraising committee with the DNC, theHillary Victory Fund, and 32 state committees.[101] The Clinton campaign sent the DNC amemorandum of understanding in which the campaign agreed to help the DNC pay off debt in exchange for "joint authority over strategic decisions over the staffing, budget, expenditures, and general election related communications, data, technology, analytics, and research". The memo specified that these arrangements would be limited to "preparations for the General Election and not the Democratic Primary".[102]
In the debate between Sanders and Clinton in New Hampshire prior to the New Hampshire primary Clinton, objecting to the inference that campaign contributions or speaking fees from the financial sector would influence her political decisions, characterized Sanders' references to herWall Street connections as a "'very artful smear' campaign".[103] He responded by saying, "It's a fact. When in the last reporting period her super PAC received $25 million and $15 million came from Wall Street, what is the smear? That is the fact."[104]
The Clinton campaign entered September 2016 with $121.4 million in the bank, while the Trump campaign had $96 million.[105]
In May 2015, it was reported that the Clinton campaign lagged behind opposing Republican campaigns in gaining large donations from wealthy donors to supportiveSuper PACs. At that time, many potential liberal, big-money donors had not yet committed to support Clinton.[106] Clinton's super PAC fundraising picked up significantly in the general election.Priorities USA Action, the main super PAC supporting Clinton, raised $23.4 million in August 2016. More than half of that amount came from its top five donors, and the amount included 11 seven-figure checks.[107]
Super PACs that have supported Clinton include:[108]
Robby Mook served ascampaign manager, and is the first openly gay person to serve in that role in a major presidential campaign.[123][124]
Stephanie Hannon served as chief technology officer, and is the first woman to serve in that role in a major presidential campaign.[125][126][127]
Other campaign staff includedJohn Podesta as campaign chairman,Joel Benenson as chief strategist and pollster,Jennifer Palmieri as communications director, andAmanda Renteria as political director.[128] Longtime Clinton aideHuma Abedin was the vice chairwoman of the campaign,[128] and continued in the role she has long played for Clinton as traveling chief of staff and "body woman".[129] Fundraising was led byDennis Cheng as national finance director for the campaign, and main liaison between many major donors and Clinton.[130] Future New York State SenatorAlessandra Biaggi served as Deputy National Operations Director, and said: "Everything was urgent in the moment. It was total chaos and I loved it. We played very hard, and it was very hard to lose."[131]
Clinton named three senior policy advisers to lead policy development for her presidential campaign:Maya Harris, Ann O'Leary, andJake Sullivan.[132] Michael Schmidt, Michael Shapiro and Jacob Leibenluft were on Clinton's policy team, while Sullivan, a longtime Clinton staffer, served as policy director.[133]
The Clinton campaign had a large set of outside policy advisors who served on advisory groups.
Senior advisors included formerCIA Director and Secretary of DefenseLeon Panetta, formerNational Security AdvisorTom Donilon,Center for a New American Security CEOMichèle Flournoy, former Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright, and others.[134][135] The campaign also had a decentralized system of "about a dozen advisory working groups for regional and functional issues" such as Asia, Europe,counter-terrorism, and human rights.Foreign Policy magazine reported that "the campaign boasts a surprisingly diverse cadre of experts, from early-career think tankers in their 20s to graying ex-diplomats in their 50s and 60s".[134]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(March 2022) |
On economic policy, outside advisors with whom Clinton regularly consulted includedGene Sperling, former director of theNational Economic Council;Neera Tanden of theCenter for American Progress;Ann O'Leary; economistsAlan Krueger andAlan Blinder; Nobel laureate economistJoseph Stiglitz;Jared Bernstein, the former chief economist toJoe Biden; andHeather Boushey.[133]
On August 16, 2016, Clinton namedKen Salazar to lead her White House transition team.[136][137]
Two of the Clinton campaigns' topmedia buying agencies were GMMB (which focused ontelevision) and Bully Pulpit Interactive (which focused ondigital). The Clinton campaign'sanalytics director was Elan Kriegel, the co-founder of BlueLabs, a Democratic data firm.[138] The campaign has also hiredBurrell Communications, an African American advertising firm.[139]
Graphic designerMichael Bierut of the firmPentagram designed the campaign's distinctive "H" logo; Bierut volunteered his services.[140][141] Bierut later recommended designerJennifer Kinon to lead the in-house design team and design a comprehensive visual identity for the campaign.[142]
Professionals inbranding andmarketing, such as Wendy Clark ofCoca-Cola, andRoy Spence ofGSD&M, were brought into the campaign to assist with "re-branding" Clinton.[143]
Clinton won Iowa by the closest margin in the history of the state's Democraticcaucus.Maryland GovernorMartin O'Malley suspended[a] his campaign after a distant third-place finish, leaving Clinton and Sanders the only two candidates. The electoral battle turned out to be more competitive than expected, with Sanders winning theNew Hampshire primary while Clinton scored victories in theNevada caucuses andSouth Carolina primary. On four differentSuper Tuesdays, Clinton secured numerous important wins in each of the nine most populous states includingCalifornia,New York,Florida, andTexas, while Sanders scored various victories in between.[145]
On June 6, 2016, theAssociated Press andNBC News stated that Clinton had become thepresumptive nominee after reaching the required number of delegates, including both pledged and unpledged delegates (superdelegates), to secure the nomination. In doing so, she had become thefirst woman to ever be the presumptive nominee of any major political party in the United States.[146] On June 7, Clinton officially secured a majority of pledged delegates after winning in the California and New Jerseyprimaries.[147] PresidentBarack Obama, Vice PresidentJoe Biden and SenatorElizabeth Warren formally endorsed Clinton on June 9, 2016.[148][149] Sanders confirmed on June 24 that he would vote for Clinton overDonald Trump in the general election[150] and, on July 12, 2016, formally endorsed Clinton inPortsmouth, New Hampshire.[151]
On July 26, 2016, theDemocratic National Convention officially nominated Clinton for president and Virginia SenatorTim Kaine for vice president.[152] Clinton is the first woman in U.S. history to run for president as the nominee of a major political party.[153]
The table below reflects the presumed delegate count following the2016 Democratic primaries:
| Candidate | Pledged delegates | Presumed count, including superdelegates |
|---|---|---|
 | 2,205 | 2,775½ |
 | 1,846 | 1,889½ |
.jpg) | 0 | 1 |
Available delegates | 0 | 97 |
Total delegate votes | 4,051 | 4,763 |
The first presidential debate in 2016 took place between Clinton and Trump on September 26 atHofstra University.[154] This made Clinton the first woman to debate as part of an American presidential debate.[155] The moderator wasLester Holt ofNBC.[156] A live-TV audience of 84 million viewers set a viewership record for presidential debates.[157] All scientific polls showed that voters thought Hillary Clinton performed better than Donald Trump in the debate.[158][159]
The second presidential debate in 2016 took place between Clinton and Trump on October 9 atWashington University in St. Louis.[160] It was a town hall debate.[161]
The third and last presidential debate between Clinton and Trump took place on October 19 at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas.[162][163]
In July 2015, Clinton became the first 2016 presidential candidate to publicly release amedical history. The Clinton campaign released a letter from her physician, Lisa Bardack ofMount Kisco, New York, attesting to her good health based on a full medical evaluation.[164] The letter noted that there was a "complete resolution" of a brainconcussion that Clinton suffered in 2012 and "total dissolution" of priorblood clots.[164] Bardack concluded that Clinton had no serious health issues that would interfere with her fitness to serve as president.[164] Despite this letter, rumors and conspiracy theories concerning Clinton's health proliferated online. In August 2016, Trump questioned Hillary's stamina andFox News hostSean Hannity called for Clinton to release her medical records, fueling these theories.[165]
The US intelligence community noted that Clinton had health issues by August 27, 2016.[166]In September 2016, Clinton developedpneumonia. She left a9/11 commemoration ceremony early due to illness.[167][168][169] Video footage of Clinton's departure showed Clinton becoming unsteady on her feet and being helped into a van;[170] this footage wentviral.[171] Later that evening, Clinton reassured reporters that she was "feeling great".[172] The Clinton campaign initially stated that Clinton had become overheated at the event; later on September 11, the campaign acknowledged that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier.[170] Clinton spent three days recovering at home, canceling several campaign events, before returning to the campaign trail at a rally at theUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro.[173]
Following the 9/11 event, the Clinton campaign was criticized by some media outlets for a lack of transparency concerning Clinton's health.[174][175] A subsequent poll found that 46% of respondents did not believe the campaign's disclosure that Clinton was suffering from pneumonia.[176] Responding to concerns about transparency, Clinton released supplementary health records from Dr. Bardack, who found that she had had a non-contagiousbacterial pneumonia infection and that she had recovered well withantibiotics and rest. Bardack wrote that she was "fit to serve as president of the United States."[177]
In March 2015, Clinton's practice of using her own private email address and server during her time as Secretary of State, in lieu of State Department servers, attracted widespread public attention.[178] Concerns were raised about security and preservation of emails, and the possibility that laws may have been violated.[179] Nearly 2,100 emails contained in Clinton's server were determined to be classified when the state department had an opportunity to review them. According to Clinton they were not marked classified at the time she handled them. 65 emails were found to contain information classified as "Secret", more than 20 contained "Top-Secret" information, and the rest contained "Confidential" information.[180][181][182][183] Government policy, reiterated in the nondisclosure agreement signed by Clinton as part of gaining her security clearance, is that sensitive information should be considered and handled as classified even if not marked as such.[184] After allegations were raised that some of the emails in question fell into this "born classified" category, an FBI probe was initiated regarding how classified information was handled on the Clinton server.[184][185][186][187]
The FBI probe was concluded on July 5, 2016, with a recommendation of no charges, a recommendation that was followed by the Justice Department. On October 28, 11 days before the election,FBI DirectorJames Comey informed Congress that the FBI was analyzing additional emails obtained during its investigation of the unrelated matter of former New York RepresentativeAnthony Weinersexting an underage girl.[188][189] On November 6, he notified Congress that the new emails did not change the FBI's earlier conclusion.[190][191] The next day, stock and currency markets around the world surged in response.[192][193][194] Clinton, speaking to major donors after her loss and citing campaign data, claimed that the effect of the two letters Comey released days before the election contributed to her defeat.[195]
On October 22, 2015,Clinton testified for a second time before the Benghazi Committee and answered members' questions for more than eight hours in a public hearing.[196][197][198]The New York Times reported that "the long day of often-testy exchanges between committee members and their prominent witness revealed little new information about an episode that has been the subject of seven previous investigations...Perhaps stung by recent admissions that the pursuit of Mrs. Clinton's emails was politically motivated, Republican lawmakers on the panel for the most part avoided any mention of her use of a private email server."[196] The email issue did arise shortly before lunch, in a "shouting match" between Republican committee chairTrey Gowdy and two Democrats,Adam Schiff andElijah Cummings.[196] Late in the hearing, RepresentativeJim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, accused Clinton of changing her accounts of the email service, leading to a "heated exchange" in which Clinton "repeated that she had made a mistake in using a private email account, but maintained that she had never sent or received anything marked classified and had sought to be transparent by publicly releasing her emails,"[196] a claim that was later contradicted by James Comey.[199]
According toThe Hill, the hearings provided a positive momentum for Clinton's 2016 campaign, with her performance generating headlines such as "Marathon Benghazi hearing leaves Hillary Clinton largely unscathed" (CNN), and "GOP lands no solid punches while sparring with Clinton over Benghazi" (The Washington Post). Her campaign received a windfall of donations, mostly coming from new donors.[200]
During the week of the Democratic National Convention,WikiLeaks releasedemails suggesting that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee tilted the primary in favor of Clinton. In an excerpt ofDonna Brazile's book,Hacks: The Inside Story, published inPolitico magazine, Brazile wrote that she had found an unethical agreement between the Clinton campaign and the DNC which had allowed Clinton to exert "control of the party long before she became its nominee."[201][202][203] In an interview onABC'sThis Week on November 5, 2017, Brazile said that she had found no evidence of the Democratic primaries having been rigged in favor of Clinton.[202]
During the 2016 election,Correct the Record, a pro-Clintonpolitical action committee, suspended former Clinton advisorBurns Strider oversexual harassment allegations. Clinton was criticized when it was discovered that she was aware of sexual harassment allegations against Strider when he worked on her 2008presidential campaign years earlier and against the advice of her staff refused remove him from her campaign.[204][205] Clinton said she didn't fire Strider because “I didn't think firing him was the best solution to the problem”.
On August 25, 2016, Clinton gave a speech criticizing Trump's campaign for using "racist lies" and allowing thealt-right to gain prominence.[206] At a fundraiser on September 9, Clinton stated: "You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. They'reracist,sexist,homophobic,xenophobic,Islamophobic — you name it."[207]Trump criticized Clinton's remark as insulting to his supporters,[208]and some political analysts compared the statement toMitt Romney's47% gaffe in 2012.[207][208][209]The following day Clinton expressed regret for saying "half", while insisting that Trump had deplorably amplified "hateful views and voices".[210]
The "Deplorables" nickname wasadopted by some Trump supporters,[211] with the Trump campaign inviting "deplorable Americans" on stage[212] and using the label against Clinton in an advertisement.[213]
In May 2022, Clinton's former campaign managerRobby Mook said that Clinton had approved of a plan to pitch the now-discredited accusation to the media that there had been activity between computer servers belonging to the Russian bankAlfa-Bank and theTrump Organization, on or about October 30, 2016.[214]
In national polling, Clinton enjoyed "the highest level of female support of any candidate in more than four decades," with a 24-point lead in among female registered voters in aPew Research Center taken on the eve of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[215] The same polling also showed a 16-percentage point difference in support among women and men, a historically unprecedented gender gap.[215] Supporters created a private, online group,Pantsuit Nation, to share images in support of the candidate and her campaign. Its 2.9 million members used Clinton's typical choice ofbusiness wear—thepantsuit—as a symbol of both the candidate and the historical fight forwomen's equality.[216][217][218]
Clinton enjoyed the overwhelming support ofAfrican American voters in the Democratic primary elections.[219][220] Overall, 77 percent of Black Democratic primary voters supported Clinton.[221] Clinton performed especially well among Black women voters.[220] There was a very large age gap among Black voters, with the majority of younger Black voters (under age 30) favoring Sanders but the overwhelming majority of older Black voters favoring Clinton.[222]
In general election polling, Clinton continued to enjoy an overwhelming advantage among Black voters. Nationwide polling in the summer months of 2016 showed Clinton with the support of between 83% and 91% of Black voters.[223][224] A key aim of the Clinton campaign was to ensure highvoter turnout for African American voters; with PresidentBarack Obama making a personal appeal to Black citizens to cast a ballot in the election.[225][226] Younger Black voters were of particular concern to the Clinton campaign, because this demographic was more skeptical of Clinton than their elders.[227][228][229]
Clinton has advocatedcriminal justice reform as well as support for African-American youth.[230] However, critics have brought up her quote as First Lady regarding theViolent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, in which she described young, impoverished black children who had to turn to crime: "They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators.' No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel."[231] These remarks were used byBernie Sanders and Donald Trump to imply racism on Clinton's behalf.[232]
Clinton madeLGBT rights a central issue in her campaign. In addition to promoting broader LGBT rights, she also advocated for the right fortransgender people to serve in the military.[233] In the few years prior to the campaign, her public position on same sex marriage and "Don't ask, don't tell" (aBill Clinton-era law preventing openly LGB people from serving in the military) had changed, although she expressed no regret over her previous views.[234]
Clinton's stance on LGBT rights, like many Democrats, had shifted over time with public opinion. As First Lady and a Senator, she had opposed same-sex marriage, "favoring arrangements like civil unions", a position which "largely tracked public opinion" of the time.[235][236] In 2004, she had opposed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and in 2006 she said she would not oppose an effort by New York State officials to legalize same-sex marriage.[235] In March 2013, she formally stated her support for same-sex marriage after stepping down as Secretary of State, stating she supported it "personally and as a matter of policy and law."[235][237] In 2016, her Twitter account statedconversion therapy for minors should be ended.[238]
Clinton condemned Indiana'sReligious Freedom Restoration Act.[239] She supported theObergefell v. Hodges ruling.[240] She also endorsed theEquality Act of 2015.[241][242]
In December 2015, Clinton published a plan forLGBT rights.[243] The next month, theHuman Rights Campaign endorsed her for president.[244] She criticizedBernie Sanders for calling the Human Rights Campaign "part of the establishment."[245][246]
In March 2016, in an interview with MSNBC atNancy Reagan's funeral service, Clinton credited Reagan with starting the national conversation aboutAIDS. Clinton's comments drew heavy criticism from LGBT groups and the media, who said that theReagans had ignored the issue, causing Clinton to apologize and retract her statement.[247]
In October 2016, Clinton became the first major-party presidential candidate ever to write an op-ed for an LGBT newspaper, writing forPhiladelphia Gay News.[248]
Clinton was endorsed byThe New York Times,[249]The Washington Post,[250]Los Angeles Times,[251]Houston Chronicle,[252][253]The Cincinnati Enquirer,[254][255]The Dallas Morning News,[256][257] andThe Arizona Republic,[258] editorial boards. TheHouston Chronicle traditionally endorses Republicans later in the election, but chose to endorse Clinton in July.The Dallas Morning News had not endorsed a Democrat for president since 1940.The Cincinnati Enquirer had not endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate for almost 100 years.The Arizona Republic, which began publishing in 1890, had never endorsed a Democratic candidate.
USA Today, which had never endorsed a presidential candidate, broke the tradition and took sides in the race with an editorial which declared Trump as "erratic", describing his business career as "checkered", calling him a "serial liar" and "unfit for the presidency". The newspaper, however, said the "editorial does not represent unqualified support for Hillary Clinton."[259][260][261]The Atlantic, which had only made two presidential endorsements in its 160-year history, endorsed Clinton.[262]
A group of 70Nobel laureates endorsed Clinton in an open letter released in October 2016. Among the signatories to the letter were chemistPeter Agre, economistRobert J. Shiller, and physicistRobert Woodrow Wilson.[263]
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Apresidential transition was contingently planned from Obama to Clinton in accordance with thePre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010 and the Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015 to occur in the event Clinton was elected president. It would have been a "friendly takeover", in which the outgoing president and the incoming president are of the samepolitical party. Since Clinton lost the 2016 election to Republican presidential nomineeDonald Trump, this transition never went into effect.
In April 2016, representatives of candidates Clinton, Trump, Sanders,John Kasich, and Ted Cruz jointly met with Obama administration officials to discuss the November presidential transition.[264]
On June 3, 2016, the Agency Transition Directors Council first assembled at theWhite House to review transition plans of each of the major executive departments; neither the Trump nor Clinton campaigns sent representatives to this initial meeting. At about the same time, the White House began transferring the Obama administration's accumulated electronic files to theNational Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Record Archive for preservation.[265]
On July 30, 2016, White House Chief of StaffDenis McDonough spoke with representatives of the Trump and Clinton campaigns to discuss transition arrangements for assuming office in January. McDonough confirmed that the candidates would be eligible for interim national security briefings from theDirector of National Intelligence.[266] Clinton's transition team was eligible to use federal workspace inWashington, D.C., and to attend meetings of the White House transition teams.[267] Under the Edward "Ted" Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015, both Clinton and Trump's transition teams were granted access to government office space in Washington, D.C. beginning on August 2, 2016.[268] The office space given to each candidates' transition efforts were on different floors of the same building, 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue.[268][269] Government-provided office space for transition planning and security briefings were only given to Clinton and Trump, with third-party candidates such as theLibertarian Party'sGary Johnson being denied these because theGeneral Services Administration did not judge them to have met the requirements to receive these, which included receiving "significant" enough support in polls, "so as to be realistically considered among the principal contenders."[270]
Clinton's transition team was reported to be trying to remain low-key in their operations, so as not to project overconfidence in the prospects of a Clinton victory.[271]
Clinton announced numerous members of her transition team on August 16, 2016, including formerSecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar as its chair.[272][273] Others on the transition team included:Maggie Williams,Neera Tanden, formerNational Security AdviserTom Donilon, and formerMichigan GovernorJennifer Granholm.[273]Heather Boushey served as the transition team's chiefeconomist.[272]Leah D. Daughtry was tasked with overseeing the transition's personnel department.[274] Carlos Monje would reportedly join the effort, overseeing the agency review teams.[275] Michael Linden would also join, being focused on labor issues.[271] The transition effort would be centered inWashington, D.C., separate from the Clinton campaign operation's location in Brooklyn, New York.[272] The campaign had, per reporting, once considered centering its transition efforts in the same city as its campaign operation, but ultimately decided against this.[269] The transition team's staff in Washington, D.C. was overseen byAnn O'Leary andEd Meier.[274] Near the end of the campaign, it was reported that Clinton's transition team was significantly smaller in terms of personnel than Trump's was reported to be.[271]
On July 3, 2016The New York Times reported that Clinton planned for her cabinet to be gender equal, with half of its members being female.[276]
In the closing weeks of the election, Clinton was reported to have been nearing a final decision on top advisors for her potential administration, including who she would name to serve as herWhite House Chief of Staff.[274] It was also reported that the transition team had already begun vetting prospective nominees for several cabinet positions.[271]
With the refusal of the Senate to hold hearings on theSupreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland, there was a chance that Clinton would fill the vacancy that stood on the Supreme Court at the election. This meant that, unusual to a presidency, Clinton's early presidency could have not just seen her nominate new Executive Branch officials, but could have also seen her nominate a new Supreme Court justice.
From the beginning of her presidential candidacy, Clinton stated that she desired to nominate justices that would overturn the decision inCitizens United v. FEC, a case allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.[277] Clinton also voiced support for judges who would vote favorably regardingabortion rights, unions,affirmative action,same-sex marriage, and President Obama'sClean Power Plan andDeferred Action for Parents of Americans program.[278][279] Clinton also stated that she would look for a nominee who represents the diversity of the country and has professional experience outside of working for large law firms and serving as a judge.[280] Potential nominees listed in August 2016 by theABA Journal includedCory Booker,Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar,Merrick Garland,Jane L. Kelly,Amy Klobuchar,Lucy H. Koh,Goodwin Liu,Patricia Millett,Jacqueline Nguyen,Sri Srinivasan andPaul J. Watford.[281] Barack Obama's name was also floated.[282]
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The Clinton campaign held its election night celebration at theJavits Center inNew York City, in an event headlined by speakers includingChuck Schumer,Andrew Cuomo,Bill de Blasio, andKaty Perry.[283] At the conclusion of the event, cannons filled with translucent confetti were set to deploy from the glass roof of the Javits Center to symbolize "breaking theglass ceiling".[284] The campaign initially obtained permits to set off fireworks from a barge on theHudson River, but cancelled the display on November 7.[285]
As the results came in on election night, November 8, 2016, Clinton lost in multiple states that she had been predicted to win, including theblue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In the early morning hours of November 9, media sources declared Trump the winner of the presidency.[286] Clinton lost theelectoral vote while winning thepopular vote, in what theNew York Times called a "surprise outcome" after polls leading up to election day had predicted a Clinton victory.[287][288] Clinton became the first Democratic presidential contender to have won the national popular vote but lost the electoral college vote sinceAl Gore in 2000 against RepublicanGeorge W. Bush. On the advice of then-PresidentBarack Obama, she congratulated Trump on the win in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016, and delivered her public concession speech at 11:50 AM ET, November 9, 2016, at the Grand Ballroom of theNew Yorker Hotel.[289][290]
On November 9, Clinton's Twitter account tweeted, "To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world [to pursue and achieve your own dreams]". Drawn from part of Clinton's concession speech, these words became the most retweeted political tweet of the year, the third most retweeted tweet of the year, and the top retweet in the United States.[291]
Trump received 304 electoral college votes to Clinton's 227, with two Trump electors and five Clinton electors voting for someone else.[292][293][294] In the nationwide popular vote, Clinton received over 2.8 million (2.1%) more votes than Trump.[295][296][297] This is the widest-ever lead in the popular vote for a candidate who lost the election.[298] It also makes Clinton the first woman to win the popular vote in an election for United States president.[299]
Clinton's upset losses in the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin played a major role in the outcome of the campaign.[300][301][302][303]
After a loss that was widely perceived as a surprise, critics alleged that the Clinton team ran an ineffective campaign. Several issues have been highlighted. A study byWesleyan Media Project has shown that Clinton's TV ads "were almost entirely policy-free". The researchers wrote that "misallocated advertising funds" and "lack of policy messaging in advertising may have hurt Clinton enough to have made a difference".[304] InShattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, reportersJonathan Allen and Amie Parnes state that the campaign had "little vision or inspiration", an "ineffective" strategy that focused on "turnout, not persuasion" and reliance on a "faulty analytic model", amongst other issues.[305] Political scientistStan Greenberg stated that Clinton focused on "[her] base and identity at the expense of class", that she did not call out "big-money special interests", and that her campaign focused too heavily on "data analytics".[306] Media outlets pointed to other perceived weaknesses in the campaign, including the lack of a coherent message,[307][308][309][310] an unwillingness to heed signs of trouble,[311][312] and the failure to remedy some voters' perception that Clinton was simply untrustworthy.[312][307]Chris Cillizza ofThe Washington Post named Clinton "the worst candidate of 2016".[313]
Despite this, political scientistsJohn M. Sides, Michael Tesler andLynn Vavreck dispute the criticism that Clinton ran an inept campaign, saying that this is a "myth" and there is little evidence to support the criticism.[314] A common critique of the Clinton campaign is that it did not campaign in Wisconsin (which Trump narrowly won); however, according to a study by political scientist Christopher J. Devine, it is "unclear" from the evidence "whether Clinton also would have gained votes, or even won, in Wisconsin had she campaigned in that state."[315]
In her 2017 memoirWhat Happened, Clinton characterized her comments on putting "coal miners out of business" and labeling her opponent's supporters as a "basket of deplorables" as political missteps that cost her votes.[316][317] Clinton also alluded to several external factors that influenced the election results in Trump's favor, includingJames Comey releasing two letters regarding her email investigation days before the election,[195] the news media, particularlyThe New York Times for their prioritization of covering her email scandal over other policy issues,[318][319] and thespoiler effect ofGreen Party candidateJill Stein.[316][320]
Clinton's staffers... setting up... at 1 Pierrepont Plaza in Brooklyn Heights.
The campaign's finance team is led by Dennis Cheng, previously the chief fund-raiser for the Clinton Foundation, and it employs a couple dozen staff members. Mr. Cheng, who attends the events with Mrs. Clinton, offers donors a number of contribution options that provide them and their families varying levels of access to Mrs. Clinton.
Most strikingly, Mrs. Clinton did not defend the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight legislation, a major achievement of President Obama and congressional Democrats in the wake of the crisis—and a target of Wall Street lobbying ever since. Instead, Mrs. Clinton suggested that it had been passed for "political reasons" by lawmakers panicked by their angry constituents.
Questions about when there will be interviews, or when she will make herself available to questions from reporters, are deflected with something along the lines of: all in good time.
Despite being bombarded with press questions at every chance, Clinton has only personally answered a handful of inquiries since formally launching her campaign April 12.
Mrs. Clinton specified policies she would push for, including universal prekindergarten, paid family leave, equal pay for women, college affordability and incentives for companies that provide profit-sharing to employees.
They chose her over Mr. Sanders by more than six to one...
'Her approach to this really is not trying to take a ruler out and measure where she wants to be on some ideological scale,' Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said. 'It's to dive deeply into the problems facing the American people and American families. She's a proud wonk, and she looks at policy from that perspective.'
Recognizing that Democrats had to be galvanized to show up at the polls, Mrs. Clinton's advisers used surveys and focus groups to assess the risks of running a strongly liberal campaign. They concluded that there were few.
The reason is the Electoral College, a winner-take-all system that rewards candidates who focus almost exclusively on closely contested states.
it makes all the political sense in the world for Mrs. Clinton to ignore them
On the offensive after Sanders tied her campaign fundraising to Wall Street, Clinton called out the Vermont senator for conducting a "very artful smear" campaign.
...none of the biggest Democratic donors from past elections...have committed to supporting Mrs. Clinton on nearly the same scale
The campaign is set to roll out in more than two dozen states that hold primary contests in March, with a heavy presence in those where people can vote early in person: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Arizona.
Clinton has recruited consumer marketing specialists onto her team of trusted political advisers. Their job is to help imagine Hillary 5.0 — the rebranding of a first lady turned senator turned failed presidential candidate turned secretary of state turned likely 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.
The remarks also remind of inflammatory remarks in recent presidential elections on both sides — from Barack Obama's assertion in 2008 that people in small towns are "bitter" and "cling to guns or religion," to Mitt Romney's 2012 statement that 47 percent of Americans vote for Democrats because they are "dependent upon government" and believe they are "victims," to his vice presidential pick Paul Ryan's comment that the country is divided between "makers and takers."
Prof.Jennifer Mercieca, an expert in American political discourse at Texas A&M University, said in an email that the "deplorable" comment "sounds bad on the face of it" and compared it to Mr. Romney's 47 percent gaffe. "The comment demonstrates that she (like Romney) lacks empathy for that group," Professor Mercieca said.
On the other hand, it's not clear whether this comment, even if people don't like it, will have anywhere near the effect that Romney's "47 percent" comment was supposed to have. That's especially because Clinton has backed away from saying it applied to half of Trump supporters and, as I noted two weeks ago, the fact that Romney's comment might have alienated people who actually might have voted for him. Clinton's comment was about people already backing her opponent — a key difference.
Clinton has clobbered Sanders in states, mainly in the South, with large African-American populations....
...on same-sex marriage we give Clinton a Full Flop
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