Hillary Clinton 2020? Speculation swirls around whether former preseidential candidate is eyeing late 2020 bid
The final results were humiliating for her in the 2016 presidential elections and one cannot rule out that the former first lady is trying to avenge it four years later. Hillary Clinton bagged more votes than her maverick opponent Donald Trump in the last elections but eventually lost out thanks to the electoral college. After leading a low-profile public life since then, the heavyweight Democrat is back to the fore again, sparking speculation that she could lock horns with Trump one more time after the whistleblower controversy has seen the incumbent facing a major political challenge.
Clinton has attacked Trump with strong words ever since it was alleged he put pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to derail the electoral mission of his domestic rival Joe Biden in the run-up to the 2020 elections. She recently referred to him as a president who betrayed the nation. And on Sunday, September 29, the 71-year-old former secretary of state lashed out at Trump again, calling him a “a corrupt human tornado” in connection with her defeat in 2016.
Clinton spoke to CBS News in a pre-recorded video -- while promoting the forthcoming book ‘The Book of Gutsy Women’ which she has co-authored with her daughter Chelsea -- when she even called Trump an “illegitimate president". The defeat she had to conceded despite getting more popular votes still disturbs her and the current turmoil the president is facing has made her feel bolstered and she wants to see Trump impeached for allegedly advancing his personal interests at the expense of his administrative position. The Democratic Party launched a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump over the Ukraine connection on September 24 and a full-fledged political war is under way at the moment between the two parties.
Clinton's media engagement increases; she starts targeting Trump more
A sudden rise in Hillary’s media activism over the last week and consistent attacks on the president have given rise to speculation that she could throw her hat into the ring yet again, and if that happens this election run-up will certainly be dramatic. The Democratic race is already over-crowded and the entry of another top politician could see the existing runners redrawing their strategies. Trump’s opponents are often criticized for lacking a unity required to beat him and the entry of Clinton could jeopardize that unity even more. The former secretary though refuses to believe that Trump will get a second term next year.
“Look, there were many funny things that happened in my election that will not happen again. And I'm hoping that both the public and press understand the way Trump plays the game,” Clinton told the interviewer, Jane Pauley. During the 2016 campaign, Clinton lambasted Trump's supporters as "deplorables", a move that she later regreted.
Clinton’s rivalry with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election took on an ugly shape after he labelled her as “crooked Hillary” owing to allegations over her using a private email server for official communications. She said Trump knew there were different reasons why the final outcome of the 2016 elections turned out the way it had.
“You know, it was like applying for a job and getting 66 million letters of recommendation and losing to a corrupt human tornado,” she said. Trump got 306 Electoral College votes three years ago as compared to Hillary’s 232 although the latter led in terms of the popular vote and that’s something she still laments.
Clinton still carries weight in American politics
A Daily Mail report said that with frontrunner Biden suddenly finding his lead under threat, many Democratic primary voters are feeling the need to see an established Democrat to take on Trump and that has made Clinton a relevant figure again. A re-entry into the fray will also pit Clinton against Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator with whom she had intense competition before bagging the Democratic nomination in 2016.
Clinton, who has been making appearances on various media platforms also tried to convey to viewers that she still commands weight in the party and has good relations with its top leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"I had a chance to visit with Nancy backstage and I really share her view that the seriousness with which she has addressed the question of impeachment is exactly in line with what a sobering decision she had to make," Hillary said.