Clinton leaps on body-image question to shame Trump
Hillary Clinton has answered a question regarding young women’s body image issues with great enthusiasm, no doubt attempting to set herself apart from opponent Donald Trump’s track record on the subject.
In the lead-up to the US election, Ms Clinton has been eager to remind the nation of Mr Trump’s history of offensive comments linking women’s appearance to their self worth.
Most recently, the Democratic candidate lambasted Mr Trump for his treatment of former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado, who was labelled “Ms Piggy” by Mr Trump after apparently putting on weight.
So when a young woman directed a question on the topic towards Ms Clinton during a rally in Haverford, Pennsylvania, the former secretary of state jumped at the chance.
Young girls listen to Clinton’s ‘Family Town Hall’ question and answer session. Photo: Getty
“At my school, body image is a really big issue for girls my age,” said 15-year-old Brennan Leach, according to The New York Times.
“I see with my own eyes the damage Donald Trump does when he talks about women and how they look.”
She asked how Ms Clinton help girls understand that “they are so much more than just what they look like?”
Clearly thrilled with the question, Ms Clinton yelled out “Thank you! Thank you!” as the crowd cheered loudly.
Saying she was “proud” of Ms Leach for raising the topic, Ms Clinton argued that her opponent had taken the “concern” of body image “to a new level of difficulty and meanness”.
Ms Clinton noted that in 2016, young women were being pressured about body image “from a younger age”.
“My opponent insulted Miss Universe!” she said, to laughs. “How do you get more acclaimed than that? But it wasn’t good enough.”
After touching on the issue of online bullying, Ms Clinton finished her answer with a call for acceptance.
“We’re not all going to end up being Miss Universe, I hate to tell you,” she said.
“So let’s be the best we can be. Let’s be proud of who we are.”