>> Former secretary of state, senator, first lady, and presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton's career in politics and public service spans more than 50 years. In her new book, "Something lost, something gained, reflections on life, love and liberty," she looks back on track for moments in the white house, life since the 2016 election, and America's role on the world stage. She joins me now.
Secretary Clinton, thank you for joining us. Good to see you. >> It is great to be with you, too.
>> So, this is your fifth book since the 2016 election. You open by quoting one of the greatest songs "Bo-- both sides now. " What is it that you wanted to convey in this book you have not written about yet?
>> I have let both privately and publicly but this is a book about family and friends and faith, and of course politics, because as the songs says, I've looked at life and love from both sides now in the title is as you know, taken from the song, something lost, something gained. >> You write very intimately about what you call the old wounds of 2016 and the election when you won the popular vote by thrill me in votes and ended up losing the election to Donald Trump. .
And I wonder this summer, as Democrats were weighing what to do, did any part of you think, I could get back into this, I can do this? >> Well, thought I could do it but I was not going to get back into it. I was very impressed by president Biden's literally selfless, patriotic decision to withdraw.
And once he endorsed the vice president, my husband and I quickly did as well. I am incredibly excited about Kamala Harris as our next president. I think her campaign has been flawless.
She has not only introduced herself to the country again in a way that really connects with people, but she's been drawing a sharp contrast between her and her opponent. So, I wrote an audio epilogue because of course the book was done before all of this happened, that I recorded. And I said, honestly, I was not sure to myself what I would feel when another woman would be so close to finally, finally breaking that big hard glass ceiling, and I found myself absolutely exhilarated.
So, I'm doing everything I can to help get her elected. >> So, what do you think? Is America ready to elect a woman president today and 2024 and a ways it seems they were not in 2016?
>> I think we have learned a lot in the last eight years. And I think many people, upon reflection about 20, understood that - about 2016, understood we had to break through the double standard as well as the glass ceiling and from what I'm seeing around the country, the people I'm talking to, meeting with on behalf of the campaign, there is an enthusiasm and an urgency because it is not only about electing someone who I think would be a terrific president on the merits, but stopping someone who could literally undermine our democracy for decades to come. So, there was a really strong, positive case to get behind Kamala Harris to be part of electing our first woman president.
She is our first woman vice president. I mean, think of all of the things that were accomplished by the biden-here administration that we take for granted. And we have to stop what is a very dangerous alternative.
So I think people are ready and I hope everyone turns out and demonstrates that by voting for Harris and Walz. >> Can I ask you about some of those challenges she is facing, just to get your take? Vice president Harris has seen a little bit of softening up support among young men of color, young black and Latino men.
There was one recent poll that found one in four black men under 50 said they planned to vote for Donald Trump. Another found 40% of Latino men said they would vote for him. What to you explains those numbers?
>> Well, you know so well, there is a big gender divide in our country. When it comes to politics. That has been true now for many election seasons.
And the fact is that men of all backgrounds tend to favor the Republican nominee and women tend to favor the democratic nominee. But I also have seen many polls talking about the overwhelming support she has among young men, younger than that, younger than 30, who are enthusiastic as well about her candidacy. But I think it is also important to help draw the contrast, because this is a competition between two people with very very different ideas about our future.
And I still think we have some work to do to make sure that voters, men, women, everyone, know what the stakes are. I think they have got to understand that one choice will give us options for our future and one choice literally could end our democracy and I don't say that in any, you know, way of satisfaction. I don't even think I'm exaggerating.
Just listen to what he has said. >> And you do right about that in detail in your book, your concerns for our country and for our democracy and for the world if Donald Trump were to win again. But what if you lose this?
What are your concerns? Do you worry there could be another event like January 6? >> No, because he is not in the white house.
There is no doubt that he in many ways instigated what happened on January 6. He and his government was reluctant to intervene, to protect the people in the U. S.
Capital including members of congress in the house and senate. He stood by and watched on television, as law enforcement members, the capitol police and others were beaten. Thankfully, we have Joe Biden in the white house.
Thankfully I believe that what we saw on January 6 cannot be happening again. There may be other sorts of disturbances. There will be lots of challenges made to the outcomes of the votes in various states because trump and his enablers want to seize power whether they win legitimately or not.
But this time around, he is not in the white house. So I think, we don't have to fear a repeat of what we saw but we have to be ready for whatever other shenanigans they pull to try to prevent the counting of the ballots. >> Whoever wins the election is going to inherit a world that seems to many people like it said on -- it's on fire.
You write about teaching students at Columbia university, as students where processing the horrific attacks on October 7 in Israel and the brutal Israeli response that followed into gaza. As we're speaking that conflict in the Middle East seems to grow. I wonder how you're looking at that with the airstrikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, does that make it harder to reach a cease-fire in gaza?
>> It does make it harder, and that is why I'm encouraged that other nations are joining with the United States to push hard for the end of the conflict, both between Israel and hamas and now Israel and Hezbollah. This is a very dangerous situation. That could tragically get out of control, spark a regional conflict.
I think that everyone who has any influence with any of the party and that is not just Israel, hamas and Hezbollah, it is also Iran, which is the patron for both its neighbors in the region, everyone needs to exert the maximum diplomatic pressure to see if we can get cease-fires in both conflicts and try to turn our attention to rebuilding gaza, creating security for the people, securing Israel's borders so that they don't live in fear of another October 7. There is a lot of hard work to be done but it cannot start until the war stops. >> Secretary Clinton, you write in the book about how you are reflecting differently at this chapter of your life on the decades of service and work behind you.
I see you wearing that necklace with their grandchildren's names, reflecting part of this new chapter as well. I want to ask you about a moment from this summer at the democratic national committee when you took the stage. Because there was this sense in the arena of first of all, just a thunderous standing ovation and a real sense of gratitude from the women I spoke to, many of whom were crying as you came out to see them there.
There was a sense that if not for you, that there would be no candidate Harris today. I wonder how you reflected on that moment, what it meant to you, and how you look at what's next. >> I was literally looking at faces of people who had supported me, who had stood with me, who were there for me, and I was so emotional in making a connection with them I had to practice that speech seven times because I got really emotional whenever I delivered it in preparation for walking out there.
But I felt so strongly that this was a moment that needed to unite, as many Americans as possible in these divided times to lift people's sights, to think about what is possible, to try to get everyone who has a daughter or granddaughter or sister, a mother ,an aunt to think about the unfinished business of the 21st-century. And I dedicated my book to my grandchildren. With the hope that they and their generation will inherit that better world that I am so determined to try to help bring into being.
>> The book is " something lost, something gained, reflections on life, love and liberty. " The author is secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Thank you so much for your time.
>> Thank you so much. I really always enjoy talking to you.
