The holidays are near, and with another heated election season upon us, family gatherings might turn into political battlegrounds. These intense debates can strain relationships and divide families. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, in her recent podcast, decided to school listeners on how to maintain “polite” conversations.
Joined by U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Sarah Stewart Holland on the 45-minute podcast, they delved into the events of 2016. Unsurprisingly, Clinton didn’t apologize for her “basket of deplorables” comment or her recent “deprogramming” statement about Republicans.
Rather than addressing their own past behavior, Clinton and her guests talked about their conflicts during the 2016 election, like threats to “unfriend” each other on social media. Holland is a progressive Democrat from Kentucky, while Thomas-Greenfield is a registered Republican who was fired from the State Department under former President Donald Trump.
Their wide-ranging conversation centered on handling tough political discussions, but offered little practical advice for averting family dinner disputes.
Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign against Trump was one of the most contentious in history, providing ample fodder for heated arguments. With Trump again in the GOP race and Biden as the incumbent, the potential for difficult conversations looms. However, Clinton chose to focus on issues from 2016, indicating that she hasn’t moved past her loss.
Hillary serves up holiday advice of how to talk to deplorable family members
Hillary Clinton can't seem to move on from the fact that she lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump and the woman who called for the deprogramming of millions of Americans who may not share… pic.twitter.com/IeZYOMkZWN
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) November 1, 2023
Thomas-Greenfield lamented the loss of compassion, kindness, and respect in American society, suggesting that people should relearn how to listen to opposing ideas to find common ground.
However, Clinton’s reputation for making divisive statements makes her an unlikely authority on civil discourse. Her animosity towards pro-MAGA Republicans contributed to her 2016 loss and has only grown since.