Hillary Clinton made a very candid statement at a Democratic rally on CNN on Sunday evening.
“We will bankrupt a lot of miners and coal companies,” she said in response to the question, “Tell the poor whites who vote Republican why they should vote for you and your economic policies.”
Even former Obama adviser David Axelrod noted the oddity of Clinton’s potentially damaging response.
Awkward First Response: “We’ll bankrupt a lot of coal miners.” #RatuszDem
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 14, 2016
We need to move away from coal and fossil fuels, but not from the people who worked to generate energy from these resources, she insisted.
Well, I don’t understand it either.
One social media user noted that Clinton’s outrageous remarks could threaten her support in key battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where coal mining is still a major industry.
Wow. I can’t believe she actually said that…she sounds like a candidate trying to lose in OH, PA, VA in the fall. https://t.co/ZkKILFIOiQ
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) March 14, 2016
Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania are the three major coal-producing states. The 2014 rankings put Pennsylvania fourth, Ohio 11th and Virginia 15th. Beyond those three, other coal-producing states are unlikely to forgive Clinton for her statement, like Texas. Dallas Morning News predicts This clip will generate a lot of negative publicity if she becomes the Democratic nominee.
Americans living in coal-mining regions are already concerned about President Obama’s regulations Clean Energy Plan. They’re not going to vote for someone who just promised to pass on his legacy.
