Bill Clinton believes Donald Trump could win GOP nomination
“He’s a master brander,” Clinton says of Trump. “He’s got a lot of pizzazz and zip.” (CNN)
Former President Bill Clinton believes his wife, Hillary Clinton, will win the Democratic presidential nomination — and that Donald Trump could ultimately be her opponent in 2016.
“He’s a master brander,” Bill Clinton said during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Friday. “And when you’ve got a lot of people running, and people are trying, you’ve got to make distinctions. Being able to put a personal stamp on it so people identify who you are certainly counts for something, at least in the beginning.”
Clinton was asked if he believed Trump could win the GOP nomination.
“I think so; how do I know?” Clinton said. “I don’t understand any of it very well. I’ve been out of politics a long time. I haven’t run for office in 20 years. And also I’m not mad at anybody. I mean, you know, I’m a grandfather. I love my foundation. I’m proud of Hillary. I’ll do what I can to help her. But I’m not the best pundit anymore. I don’t have a good feel for this. All I know is what I think is good for the country.”
The former president said Trump has risen to the top of the polls by giving red meat to working-class conservative voters.
“I’ll give you an economic reason to vote for me,” Clinton said of Trump. “I’ll build a wall around the southern border of America, and I’ll stop buying Chinese imports so your incomes will go up.”
But Clinton also believes the real estate mogul will be forced to present more detailed policy positions soon.
“That all has to be fleshed out over the course of time, and I’m sure the other future debates will do it,” Clinton said. “But he’s got a lot of pizzazz and zip, he’s branded himself in a clear way, and he’s generated some excitement. And it remains to be seen what’s going to happen.”
According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll released on Sunday, Trump (21 percent) has a razor-thin lead over retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (20 percent), with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (11 percent) and former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina (11 percent) tied for third.
The same poll found Hillary Clinton’s lead on the Democratic side has largely evaporated, with the former secretary of state’s edge on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders down to 15 points from 34 in July and 60 in June.