Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus highlighted Hillary Clinton’s Washington insider status as the former secretary of state officially launched her second presidential bid Sunday with the release of a video and campaign website.
In what has already become one of the GOP’s top critiques of the Democratic candidate, Priebus questioned whether voters can trust Clinton after years of ethical run-ins.
“Americans need a president they can trust, and voters do not trust Hillary Clinton,” Priebus said in a statement. “Over decades as a Washington insider, Clinton has left a trail of secrecy, scandal, and failed policies that can’t be erased from voters’ minds.”
“The Clintons believe they can play by a different set of rules and think they’re above transparency, accountability, and ethics,” he continued.
The long-anticipated launch of Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been overshadowed in recent weeks by news that the former secretary of state relied exclusively on a private email and server to conduct government business while in office.
Scrutiny of donations to the Clinton Foundation is likely to intensify now that Hillary Clinton is an official presidential candidate. Observers on both sides of the aisle have questioned the ethics of the nation’s top diplomat accepting high-dollar contributions from foreign governments and companies with a presumed interest in affecting U.S. policies.
“For weeks Clinton has stonewalled the American public on unanswered questions around these many scandals. As an official candidate, Clinton must come clean with the American people,” Priebus said.
