US: Hillary Clinton says radio host is ‘flat wrong’ for challenging her equal marriage support
Hillary Clinton accused a radio host of “playing with my words”, when he questioned her support for equal marriage.
The former Secretary of State was appearing on NPR today, as part of her current national publicity tour.
She was challenged by Terry Gross, who repeatedly asked her about her public support for same-sex marriage last year.
When asked if she had evolved on the issue, she said: “I think I’m an American… And I think we have all evolved and it’s been one of the fastest most sweeping transformations.”
“[In the 90s] the vast majority of Americans were just waking up to this issue and beginning to, you know, think about it and grasp it for the first time.
“It has been an extraordinarily fast – by historic terms – social, political and legal transformation. And we ought to celebrate that instead of plowing old ground.”
However, Gross continued to question her on the issue, saying: “I’m pretty sure you didn’t answer my question about whether you evolved or it was the American public that changed”
She said: “I have to say, I think you are being very persistent, but you are playing with my words and playing with what is such an important issue.”
When Gross claimed: “I’m just trying to clarify so I understand”, Clinton shot back: “No, I don’t think you are trying to clarify.
“I think you’re trying to say I used to be opposed and now I’m in favour and I did it for political reasons, and that’s just flat wrong.
“So let me just state what I feel like you are implying and repudiate it. I have a strong record, I have a great commitment to this issue, and I am proud of what I’ve done and the progress we’re making.”
“I did not grow up even imagining gay marriage and I don’t think you probably did either.
“This was an incredibly new and important idea that people on the front lines of the gay rights movement began to talk about and slowly but surely convinced others of the rightness of that position. And when I was ready to say what I said, I said it.”
Yesterday, Clinton warned of an “increasing backlash” against LGBT rights around the world.
Clinton is widely tipped as a front-runner for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2016.
