Michael Davidson for Hillary for America(WASHINGTON) — Hillary Clinton on Sunday said Republicans have created a “Hillary standard” that has contributed to the negative impression many people have of her, in her first joint interview with her newly announced running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine.
“I often feel like there’s the Hillary standard and then there’s the standard for everybody else,” the presumptive Democratic nominee said in the interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes.
Clinton explained that there has been a “concerted effort” by Republicans to portray her in a negative light, and described the double standard she believes is set for her as “unfounded, inaccurate, mean-spirited attacks with no basis in truth, reality, which take on a life of their own.”
Clinton also she will not respond to the repeated name-calling from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump or make a name for him, the way he calls her “Crooked Hillary.”
“I don’t call him anything, and I’m not going to engage in that kind of insult-fest that he seems to thrive on,” Clinton said. “So whatever he says about me, he’s perfectly free to use up his own air time and his own space.”
Kaine chimed in to say that while Clinton is letting the “water go off her back on this,” that’s not the way he feels.
“When I see this, you know, ‘Crooked Hillary,’ or I see the, ‘Lock her up,’ it’s just ridiculous. It is ridiculous,” he said. “I just, you know, it is beneath the character of the kind of dialogue we should have. Because we got real serious problems to solve. And look, most of us stopped the name-calling thing about fifth grade.”
Throughout their first joint interview, the two running mates appeared relaxed and at ease — praising and encouraging each other.
Kaine said he liked the idea of serving as a vice president with two presidents in the White House.
“I mean, it’s an embarrassment of riches,” he said, referring to former President Bill Clinton as first man.
Hillary Clinton also touted Kaine’s musical skills.
“I just have to add that he plays a mean harmonica,” she told CBS’ Scott Pelley.
“Got to have a fallback in my line of work,” Kaine retorted.
Clinton announced that she had chosen Kaine as her vice president Friday night, and the pair attended their first joint appearance on Saturday afternoon in Miami.
Clinton and Kaine’s interview comes a week after Donald Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, sat down with 60 Minutes as well.
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