Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during service at Mount Zion Fellowship Church in Highland Hills, Ohio on March 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during service at Mount Zion Fellowship Church in Highland Hills, Ohio on March 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Emails show Clinton’s response to LGBT backlash and more

By JOSH LEDERMAN and KEN THOMAS

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Hacked emails released in daily dispatches over the weekend by the WikiLeaks group showed Hillary Clinton’s campaign staff worried about a response to the gay community’s backlash over a comment concerning former first lady Nancy Reagan and AIDS. Also among the documents are transcripts of Clinton speeches and question-and-answer sessions that Goldman Sachs hosted in 2013, appearances for which she received hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The documents were among thousands of emails hacked from the accounts of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

U.S. intelligence officials have blamed the Russian government for a series of breaches intended to influence the presidential election. The Russians deny involvement.

Among the revelations from Podesta’s hacked emails:

Response to backlash for praising Nancy Reagan on AIDS

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Hillary Clinton’s aides fretted over how to respond to backlash from the LGBT community after Clinton lauded Nancy Reagan for starting a “national conversation” about AIDS in the 1980s, emails released Sunday show.

Activists blame President Ronald Reagan for what they view as a devastatingly slow response to the AIDS crisis.

Clinton immediately tweeted an apology after her initial remarks last March. But her aides felt the LGBT community was unsatisfied and agreed to release a more detailed response.

“I don’t want this to fester,” wrote Clinton’s campaign’s LGBT outreach director, Dominic Lowell.

An initial draft of Clinton’s statement began by stating: “I made a mistake.” The line was changed to “I said something inaccurate” with the phrase “I made a mistake, plain and simple” added later.

Wall Street speeches

Hillary Clinton generally avoided direct criticism of Wall Street as she examined the causes and responses to the financial meltdown during a series of paid speeches to Goldman Sachs, according to transcripts disclosed by WikiLeaks.

Three transcripts released Saturday did not contain any new bombshells showing she was unduly influenced by contributions from the banking industry, as her primary rival Bernie Sanders had suggested. Still, her soft-handed approach in the speeches was likely to act as a reminder to liberals in the party of their concerns that the Democratic presidential nominee is too close to Wall Street to be an effective check on its excesses if elected.

Clinton’s campaign neither confirmed nor denied that the speech transcripts and leaked Podesta emails are authentic, but there have been no indications that they were doctored before being released.

Apology tour

Clinton told the “Builders and Innovators Summit” she’d had to go on “The Clinton Apology Tour” after WikiLeaks in 2010 published diplomatic cables leaked by Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning. Clinton noted that the cables showed U.S. officials characterizing some foreign leaders as “vain, egotistical, power hungry, corrupt. And we knew they were. This was not fiction.”

“I had grown men cry,” Clinton recalled. “I mean, literally. ‘I am a friend of America, and you say these things about me?’”

Syria

Clinton, a few months after departing the State Department in 2013, told a Goldman Sachs conference in South Carolina that she would have liked to see the U.S. intervene in Syria “as covertly as is possible for Americans to intervene.”

She added, “We used to be much better at this than we are now. Now, you know, everybody can’t help themselves. They have to go out and tell their friendly reporters and somebody else: Look what we’re doing and I want credit for it.”

Filibuster

Clinton appears to call for eliminating the filibuster rules in the Senate that make a 60-vote threshold necessary to pass most items rather than a 50-vote majority. Clinton says “we need to change the rules in the Senate” and says presidential nominees as well as “policies” deserve “an up-or-down vote.”

Republicans are already incensed that Senate Democrats recently changed the rules to eliminate the filibuster for most nominations, an extraordinary step known as the nuclear option.

China

In the June 2013 speech, Clinton said Chinese President Xi Jinping, who had taken over as the country’s leader the previous fall, was “a more sophisticated, more effective public leader” than his predecessor, Hu Jintao. Clinton said she had watched Xi “work a room,” adding, “you can have him make small talk with you, which he has done with me.” She said Xi’s experience of visiting Iowa in the 1980s “was a very important part of his own development.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

The Edmonds City Council gathers to discuss annexing into South County Fire on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Community group presents vision for Edmonds’ fiscal future

Members from Keep Edmonds Vibrant suggested the council focus on revenue generation and a levy lid lift to address its budget crisis.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County report: 10 bridges set for repairs, replacement

An annual report the county released May 22 details the condition of local bridges and future maintenance they may require.

People listen as the Marysville School Board votes to close an elementary and a middle school in the 2025-26 school year while reconfiguring the district’s elementary schools to a K-6 model on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Marysville schools audit shows some improvement

Even though the district still faces serious financial problems, the findings are a positive change over last year, auditors said.

Outside of the Madrona School on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sewer district notifies Edmonds schools of intent to sue

The letter of intent alleges the school district has failed to address long-standing “water pollution issues” at Madrona K-8 School.

Cars drive along Cathcart Way next to the site of the proposed Eastview Village development that borders Little Cedars Elementary on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in unincorporated Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Former engineer: Snohomish County rushed plans for Eastview development

David Irwin cited red flags from the developers. After he resigned, the county approved the development that’s now stalled with an appeal

Marysville Pride organizers Vee Gilman, left, and Mike Pieckiel hold their welcome banner on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Marysville to host first ever Pride festival next week

It’s one of many Pride events scheduled to take place across Snohomish County throughout June.

The Everett City Council listens as Casino Road residents share their concerns about possible displacement and rent increases on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council set to vote on final comp plan

The council is expected to vote on whether to approve a massive update to its land use and development standards on June 18.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Mukilteo in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Mukilteo police locate dead body near Olympic View Middle School

At around 7 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to reports of an individual with possible injuries.

SMART concludes investigation into police use of force used in pursuit

Results of the investigation into the death of Payton Michaels were forwarded to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Madison Family Shelter Family Support Specialist Dan Blizard talks about one of the pallet homes on Monday, May 19, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Madison Family Shelter reopens after hiatus

The Pallet shelter village, formerly Faith Family Village, provides housing for up to eight families for 90 days.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.