Telemundo News’ Airs Exclusive Interview with Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton Commits to a 100 Day-Timeline to Review Immigration System if Elected President
MIAMI –October 5, 2015- In an exclusive interview with Telemundo News’ María Celeste Arrarás, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton committed to a 100-day timeline to review the current immigration system if elected President. The interview, that took place in the context of a Marc Anthony concert at the American Airlines Arena of Miami, Florida, also covered subjects like Bill Clinton’s eventual role in a Hillary Clinton presidency and her opinion of Donald Trump.
The conversation with Hillary Clinton is the third interview with a Presidential candidate conducted by Telemundo News’ during this Primary cycle, and forms part of the network’s coverage plans for the presidential elections under the signature banner #YODECIDO (I decide), a one-of-a-kind multiplatform effort to inform and empower Hispanic voters nationwide.
Next follows the full transcript of the conversation.
Interviewer: María Celeste Arrarás
Airing Date: October 4 and 5, 2015
Location: Miami, FL
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Madame Secretary, thank you for being here.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Thank you.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
We’re here at the Marc Anthony concert that you’ve chosen to launch your Latinas for HILLARY initiative. Why this event? Why this particular concert?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, first of all, I really admire and like Marc Anthony. I’ve known him since I was first lady and really admire his music, and his energy, and the crowds that he inspires and attracts. And– we’re in Miami. And he’s having another sold out concert here.
And I have to tell you there was so much excitement on my staff that (LAUGH) they might actually get to meet him– that when we started talking about how we could launch Latinos for HILLARY– what better place than at a concert by somebody who is just s– such– a positive force– in entertainment and– beyond that?
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
You have been consistently– droppin’ in the polls lately. And yet when it comes to the Hispanic community, you are very much liked. And you’re the clear favorite. What do you think that Hispanics see in you that maybe other voting groups don’t see as clearly?
HILLARY CLINTON:
I think that Hispanics know I’m a fighter. And there’s a lot that we have to fight for and fight against right now. I believe that the inflammatory, hateful rhetoric coming from Republican candidates running for the White House– is mobilizing the Hispanic community, as it should.
And it certainly is very much on my mind as I talk about what I wanna do as president. I wanna stand with and fight for the Hispanic community across our country because I know– I– I– I have known people who were– working in the fields near where I grew up in Chicago and their children through my church when I was just a young girl.
And I have so many dear friends, and colleagues, and people who have contributed so much to this country. I’ve had the privilege of meeting dreamers who are just the most exciting, dedicated group of people. And I wanna be a spokesperson, a strong voice on behalf of the needs, the interests, and the rights of Hispanic people here in the United States.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
On immigration, you have said that you’re willing to further than President Obama if Congress fails to act.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Right.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
I would like you to be very specific about how far is further.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, you know I believe in comprehensive immigration reform. And it would include in my plan a path to citizenship, which I think is absolutely essential. That is the goal. But if we still are f– working toward it, fighting for it, then I want to do everything in my power not only to continue– the executive orders that– President Obama has put forth, D.A.P.A., and D.A.C.A., and the kinds of changes that he has made.
But I want to do more on an individual basis by putting more resources, more personnel into the system to try to help as many people as possible get a different status. I will not be deporting parents. I will not be breaking up families. I will not be doing what we’ve seen too much of, which is tryin’ to, you know, make immigrants the scapegoat for everything that people are concerned about in the country.
And the best way to do that is to build on what we have accomplished, keep fightin’ for comprehensive immigration reform, and then use the tools that exist for more individual determinations about how to keep more people who are hard working, contributing people in our country while we still– fight over the comprehensive immigration reform– plan.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Some may argue that– President Obama did as much as he legally could with the executive action, and that th– those executive actions are still in the courts– and that you may have to do some legal homework in order to do more than he did to justify doing more. What do you say to them?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, it has to be legal. There is no doubt about that. And I am a strong supporter of what the president did because it was legal. It was necessary. It was important. And I believe it was rooted in the presidential authority that he relied on. But even within existing immigration law, there are provisions for trying to determine– who can stay in the country, to try to change the deportation– rules and regulations.
That’s within existing authority within the executive branch. I’m gonna look for every legal way I can find to make sure that we don’t intimidate and terrify hard working immigration families. That they know that they will not have to worry about a knock on the door or a raid on their workplace. Because I just don’t think that’s the right thing to do.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
You don’t think that President Obama has done that? Because there’s a lot of emphasis and a lot of– interest in your– concept of doin’ further than he did.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Right. I think he’s done a lot. But I also think because the deportation laws were– interpreted and enforced, you know, very aggressively– durin’ the last six and a half years, (NOISE) which I think his– administration did in part to try to get Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform.
It was– it was part of a strategy. I think that strategy is no longer workable. So therefore I think we have to go back to being a much less harsh and aggressive– enforcer. We need to, of course, take care of felons and violent people. I mean, that goes without saying.
But I have met too many people in our country who were upright, productive people who maybe had some, you know, minor offense. Like, you know, maybe they were– arrested for speeding or they had some kind of– you know, one incident of drunk driving, something like that 25 years ago.
And they were hauled in and deported. And I’ve met their wives and their children. And I– I just don’t believe in that. I think everybody is entitled to a second chance. And I don’t wanna see families disrupted, families deported. I wanna see comprehensive immigration reform. And I’m gonna do everything I can as soon as I get into office to push on that.
But in the meantime, I’m not gonna be breaking up families. And I think that is one of the differences. But I totally understand why the Obama administration felt as though they did what they did under the circumstances. But I think we’ve learned that the Republicans, at least the current crop, are just not acting in good faith.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Well, whatever were the reasons, the Hispanic community felt that they supported him, and there were a lotta broken promises, and that he really acted late on the executive actions. They wanna make sure that you’re not gonna do the same. You said that you’re gonna be very expedi– very quick on—
HILLARY CLINTON:
Yes.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
–you know, bein’ on top of that.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Right.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Can you give us a timeline? Like, a number. In the first 100 days– what can you say?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Absolutely. I mean, first of all, I–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
In the first 100 days.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, I will– I will make sure that the executive orders are still in place. I will immediately defend those executive orders in court. I will immediately tell whoever (THROAT CLEARING) is appointed to the Department of Homeland Security and the immigration services to take a hard look about how we change the– way the laws are applied so we’re not breaking up families and deporting, you know, the– the father, the mother.
Children coming home to an empty house. They don’t even know where their parent is. So I will immediately make that clear. And I will try to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get a comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced as quickly as possible.
You know, the Senate bill that was passed in the Senate on a bipartisan basis– is a good place to start. Because we already know people voted for it. They would have to pull away from the vote that they cast. So we will be immediate looking– immediately looking for legislation to try to move toward comprehensive immigration reform.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
I know you’re big on closin’ the (NOISE) income inequality gap. And, as you know, when it comes to Hispanic women, that is even wider. The gap is wider. Hispanic women make 50 cents– 56 cents to every dollar that white non-Hispanic men makes. What would you do to eradicate (NOISE) that injustice and particularly for Hispanic women?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, first of all, we have to raise the minimum wage. And that will affect (NOISE) a lot of women. Because two thirds of all minimum wage workers are women. And a good percentage of that happens to be Hispanic women. So by raising the minimum wage, getting a decent– wage so that people who work hard should not end up in poverty when they have worked a full-time job will be my first priority.
Secondly, we have to make sure we enforce the laws for equal pay for equal work. Some of the reason why Hispanic women, African American women, and even white women are so much more unequal in the workplace is we don’t enforce the laws for equal pay for equal work.
I will be very aggressive in doing that. I don’t want any woman to be treated unequally with discrimination when it comes to her wages and her benefits. And we have a long way to go to raise up the average wage of Hispanic women. But I will start on that from the very beginning.
And the– the– I guess the last point that I– I would make about this is, you know, there are a lot of jobs in America that need to be– filled. And the people filling them need to know that they have a pathway to higher opportunity. I think too many Hispanic women, African American women, and even white women get pigeonholed.
They get trapped in a position that doesn’t have any upward mobility. So I want us to emphasize the importance and the benefits of diversity in the workplace. As we become a much more diverse nation, I want more Hispanic voices at every table. So by being the first woman president, I’m goin’ to be addressing what I consider to be the disadvantages that women are still confronting in the workplace.
And I’m gonna be calling out corporations. You know, if you are a corporation that is selling to Hispanic consumers, and we know women do most of the buying in– any– part of our economy, then I’m gonna be saying, “Why don’t you (MIC NOISE) have any diversity on your board?
“Why don’t you have any people who have risen to the ranks to be executive officers of your corporation?” I am not going to sit idly by. I’m gonna be pushing businesses to do much more. And I’m goin’ to also try to open more doors for small businesses. You know, Hispanic women– actually form a lotta businesses.
But they often don’t get the credit they deserve. The bank doesn’t see them as the kind of good risk that they are because their hard work can be justified in that way. So on businesses, on wages, on moving up the business ladder, I’m gonna be a very (THUMP) strong voice for Hispanic women.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Very well. On Donald Trump, of all the inflammatory comments he– he’s made about Hispanics, (SIGH) which one was the most shocking to you?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Probably the very first one. You know, calling undocumented people rapists and criminals. That was just so prejudicial–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
What was your–
HILLARY CLINTON:
–so–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
–reaction?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, I was furious. And I was– first, I was– I thought, “Well, maybe I misread this. Maybe I misheard this. Why would he say something like that?” He l–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
He said that– he said that he was mis– misread.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, I don’t know. I mean, I– it sounded like he said what he said. And then he just kept doubling down and– and– criticizing and in my view sort of putting hate-filled rhetoric– into the presidential campaign. He, as you know, has gone after Mexicans, immigrants, Muslims, women.
I mean, he has become– a source of such anger. And that’s terrible to do. So I’ve called him out. I, you know, went to, you know, La Raza and said, “Basta. Enough. He’s got to stop this.” The Republicans are not calling him out. They’re letting him get away with it. And that is just wrong.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
If you had to describe in one single word, (LAUGH) what would that be?
HILLARY CLINTON:
What would that be? It’s hard to do one single word because he– let me– and– and I’ll– I’ll try to get to one word. But he’s flamboyant. He is, you know, aggressively– insulting. He is not well– versed in the realities that he’s talking about.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
Would you say he’s obnoxious?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, that would be a word that might well fit. I– I just find his– his demeanor, his attitudes, his– comments about everybody to be so surprising from somebody who’s been in business as long as he has, who lives in New York City– the most diverse city in our country. I– I don’t– I don’t understand (MIC NOISE) it.
He never was like that. I mean, he was always– you know– a big talker. I mean, he was on TV. He had his reality show. But, you know, I represented New York. I– I saw him from time to time at events around the city. I never heard him say anything like that. I don’t understand wh– why he is doing what he’s doing. I’m very disappointed.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
So the one word would be?
HILLARY CLINTON:
I don’t know. There’s too many words that come to my mind–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
He said that– he said that you were shrill.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Oh well. You know, I mean, he just insults everybody. You know, he just can’t help himself. And– that– that is something that I don’t– you know, I don’t respond to anything (NOISE) he says about me because I could care less. But when he attacks people, when he attacks groups, when he goes after those who are doing their jobs, I think he should be called out.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
In the– last few days, your husband, President Clinton, has come out to defend you very vocally, (LAUGH) very strongly. And because of the drop in the polls, some people think that he might be doin’ that to help you, come to your rescue, to stop the bleeding. Is that so?
HILLARY CLINTON:
Well, first of all, let me say there are a lot of polls. I am still leading nationally. You know, I know that there are polls. They go up. They go down. I don’t pay much attention to them because what matters is finally when we get to the caucuses and the elections. And I have won elections that people didn’t think I should– or could win.
And I’ve– lost elections where people thought I would win. So I don’t think the polls are– at all– important right now. There are just too many other things to do before we get to the actual elections. I think what my husband is doing is speaking from his experience.
I mean, he is– someone who knows a lot about our country, a lot about the issues, a lot about what happens politically. And he, like a lot of my supporters– has basically said– you know, “This– this is all designed by the Republicans.” And now, the Republicans have admitted that they have gone after me in order to drive my poll numbers down because they don’t wanna run against me because they know I’m a fighter.
They know I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform, for example, for education, affordable college, health care for all. That’s the kind of person I am. That’s what I’ve done my entire life. And that’s why they, you know, wanna try to slice and dice me. But I expect that. That’s part of it.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
In a recent interview, you were asked what role did you see your husband in a HILLARY Clinton White House. And you said that you didn’t wanna count your chickens before they hatched but that–
HILLARY CLINTON:
That’s right–
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
–he would be a great advisor.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Absolutely.
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS:
I– I would like you to be specific about what role do you see him as having once– if you are elected president. Because it’s– it’s a package. So people wanna know.
HILLARY CLINTON:
Yeah. Well, I think he would be a great advisor. I mean, he knows as much about how to create jobs. Look at what he did when he was president for eight years. 23 million new jobs. I mean, that’s pretty remarkable. And I– I think that what he knows about how to make things work, bring people together– has been valuable to a lotta presidents. I mean, President Bush asked him for help. President Obama has asked him for help. So I as president would certainly ask him for help.
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