Hillary Clinton was criticized Friday for praising Nancy Reagan’s record on fighting AIDS at the former first lady’s funeral in California.
“It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS in the 1980s,” Clinton said. “Because of both President and Mrs. Reagan, in particular Mrs. Reagan, we started a national conversation.”
Clinton’s remarks drew immediate fire from activists who remember that era differently. The Reagans have been repeatedly criticized for their allegedly slow response to the epidemic, and Nancy Reagan in particular has been criticized for rejecting a dying medical request from actor Rock Hudson, who died of the disease and was friends with the Reagans from their California days.
“[The Reagans] are both responsible for the death of thousands from HIV in the LGBT community due to their inaction in the 1980’s. So I understand the anger in the LGBT community toward Nancy. I feel that anger as well,” activist Kenneth Bunch said after the remarks, according to the Guardian.
Clinton quickly retracted.
“While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS,” Clinton said in a statement. “For that, I’m sorry.”
Former first lady Clinton was taking a day off the campaign trail Friday to attend the funeral.
