Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continued to hit rival Sen. Bernie Sanders for his perceived lack of foreign policy experience during her appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “There really isn’t any kind of foreign policy network that is supporting and advising Sen. Sanders,” Clinton said.
Many of her attacks on Sanders have been reminiscent of comments she made about now-President Obama during their primary fight eight years ago. But when asked to compare the Vermont Senator’s foreign policy chops to the experience then-Sen. Barack Obama had in 2008 she replied:
“He had developed a network of advisers on national security and foreign policy issues. They were very diligent and focused on making sure he was ready, that he had as broad a set of views as possible. And they really went toe-to-toe with all the people supporting me. That’s not happening in this campaign.”
Clinton added, “I think that what’s important is this job requires you to be ready on all aspects of it on the first day. And we know we got a particularly complex world right now. And the president’s not going to have the time.”
Following Thursday’s debate, the Clinton campaign sharpened its attack on Sanders’ experience. They brought close ally and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to New Hampshire to campaign for Clinton.
However, Clinton was also forced to defend Albright’s Saturday comments in New Hampshire that “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other” — a phrase Albright’s been known to say throughout her career. In the context of the campaign, some interpreted the famous quote to mean women should support Clinton solely on the basis of gender.
Clinton said she doesn’t “want people to be offended” by Albright’s remarks. “I think what she was trying to do — what she’s done in every setting I’ve ever seen her in going back 20-plus years — was to remind young women, particularly, that this struggle, which many of us have been part of, is not over,” she explained.
She continued, “I think it was a light-hearted, but very pointed remark, which people can take however they choose.”
Sanders has a double-digit lead over Clinton in most New Hampshire polls ahead of Tuesday’s primary, and Clinton tried to tamp down expectations she will pull off a “Comeback Kid” moment. “[Sanders] has been in public life next door for 25 years, so there’s a familiarity with him. I totally respect that,” she conceded.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
Shawna Thomas
Shawna is a Senior Producer of "Meet the Press" and also works on expanding the show to multiple NBC News and social media platforms. Before that she was one of NBC News' White House producers, reported on Congress and helped plan NBC's coverage of the 2008 presidential election. She has a degree in political communication from the George Washington University and a graduate degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Sally Bronston