Hillary Clinton Reflects on Life, Politics, and Progress at NJPAC Event

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her recent guest appearance at NJPAC to discuss her insights on numerous social issues, along with her latest book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, & Liberty.

Booker, a clear supporter of Clinton, kept the audience engaged as he revved them up like an NBA announcer on game day. Most notably, he recounted the pair’s first encounter during the 2016 presidential primaries and how Clinton approached him as a potential running mate—since then, he claims he’s remained an adoring “hypeman.”

When discussing Clinton’s memoir, Senator Booker described it as “raw” and “intimate,” saying she “put the fullness of her being into it” as she discussed things unexpected for a politician. Having been inspired by the Joni Mitchell song “Both Sides Now,” the former presidential nominee  said she wrote it to give everyone the “full Hillary Clinton.”

The night continued with a conversation on Clinton’s career and what she learned. For instance, she discussed how lonely working in the nation’s capital can be. She stated that one must have friends and family who are honest and supportive of them, as they help one refuel and “hold onto [their] core” in an environment where they are “reacting all the time.”

This led to a larger conversation about women’s rights and the challenges they continue to face in America, like being denied essential medical care. Clinton specifically referenced the recent death of Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28-year-old woman in Georgia who was denied a life-saving abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

She also discussed paid family leave and explained the importance of work-life balance, which allows people to better take care of themselves and their loved ones. Clinton added that, when it comes to supporting children, “we as a society are making all the wrong decisions.”

Other topics of conversation included social media and how it can increase people’s chances of impact experiencing loneliness. She also discussed how social media has been a tool for foreign powers to steal information and turn Americans against each other, citing Russia’s attempts to undermine her and Joe Biden’s presidential campaigns as examples.

Eventually, the night climaxed as they discussed the current presidential election and the modern political landscape. Clinton admitted to crying tears of joy when she learned former President Donald Trump had been convicted of 34 counts of election interference, saying he was finally being held accountable for his actions. She continued to criticize Trump by saying he “doesn’t have a heart” and that he “relishes hurting people, pointing fingers, and creating chaos.”

On the other hand, Clinton endorsed the current Vice President and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and called President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from his seat of power to let Harris run in his place “one of the most patriotic acts [she’s] ever seen.”

Clinton argued that Harris now has a “tailwind” of support and that Trump was “defeated” and “exposed” in their recent debate. However, she predicted a massive disinformation campaign would soon be launched against Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. She also claimed Trump is trying to distract the public from his failure in the last debate with provocative Tweets. 

“I mean, who can hate Taylor Swift?” Clinton asked her applauding audience.

Lastly, Clinton took the time to bring up Suffs, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about the women’s suffrage movement leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which she produced alongside Jill Furman, Rachel Sussman, and Malala Yousafzai. 

Clinton said this musical captured the nature of progress in how people fight for significant change but only achieve little victories each time. She ended the night encouraging the audience to not give in to cynicism, as it can become a paralyzing deterrent from taking productive courses of action. 

Such a moral, she claims, is what she tried to reflect in her memoir. Nevertheless, Clinton hammered her point home based on her audience’s hopeful exuberance. The way she touched upon several issues and challenges Americans now face will undoubtedly stick with the crowd in the days leading up to the election, giving them more reason to vote and make themselves heard.