Watch Maggie Hassan, Kelly Ayotte squirm when asked about Clinton, Trump
Both candidates in New Hampshire’s tight, high-profile Senate race struggled to answer questions about their party’s presidential nominee in dueling CNN interviews on Monday.
Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat hoping to move from the governor’s office to the Senate, three times responded to a question about whether she thought Hillary Clinton was “honest” or “trustworthy” by changing the subject.
“Do you think that she’s honest and trustworthy?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked.
“I support Hillary Clinton for the presidency because her experience and her record demonstrate that she’s qualified to hold the job,” Hassan said.
“Do you think she’s honest?” Raju asked at another point in the interview.
“She has a critical plan among others for making college more affordable,” Hassan responded.
“You think that she’s trustworthy?” Raju asked.
“I think she has demonstrated a commitment always to something beyond herself, bigger than herself,” Hassan said.
Democrat Maggie Hassan asked 3x if @HillaryClinton is honest and trustworthy. She never says yes. #NHSEN @mkraju https://t.co/g0uhM7VN2o
— Zach Wolf (@zbyronwolf) August 16, 2016
Polling over the past year has consistently shown that a majority of voters do not view Clinton as honest or trustworthy. In particular, the former Secretary of State has struggled to adequately explain her use of a private email server, which FBI director James Comey characterized as “extremely careless.”
Of course, discomfort with the party’s nominee isn’t exclusive to Democrats in the Granite State.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican running for reelection, has occasionally criticized Trump, the controversial businessman who launched his political career by winning New Hampshire’s Republican primary.
In the interview with CNN, Ayotte repeated her oft-stated and oft-maligned phrase that she would vote for but not endorse Donald Trump.
“There’s actually a big distinction because everybody gets a vote. I do, too,” Ayotte said. “But an endorsement is one where I’m out campaigning with someone, and so while he has my vote, he doesn’t have my endorsement, and I’m going to continue to focus on really my race.”
Sen. Ayotte: I will stand up to Trump but will vote for him, @mkraju reports https://t.co/vNficNjOsB https://t.co/8CzQIxCOyf
— CNN News Central (@NewsCentralCNN) August 16, 2016
Ayotte and Trump squared off in the media after Ayotte said she was “appalled” by Trump’s attacks on the Muslim family of Humuyan Khan, an American soldier who was killed in Iraq. Trump returned the criticism by bragging that he was beating Ayotte in New Hampshire polling, a demonstrably incorrect statement.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com