Hillary Clinton finally ended speculation Sunday about the nation’s worst-kept secret: she’s running for the White House.
“I’m running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. –H” she tweeted around 3:30 p.m.
Top Clinton aide and campaign manager John Podesta, in an e-mail to veterans of Clinton’s 2008 campaign, donors and fundraisers, minutes earlier sent an e-mail blast with the words that supporters, detractors and political pundits had been waiting for: “It’s official: Hillary’s running for president.”
The e-mail was distributed moments before her official campaign Web site, HillaryClinton.com, went live with her announcement.
“So I’m hitting the road to earn your vote because it’s your time,” the second-time candidate said.” And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.”
Clinton, 67, served as First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the US, New York senator and Secretary of State during Obama’s first term. Her progressive critics fault her for ties to Wall Street and hawkish foreign policy ways – namely her vote for the Iraq War. Republicans, however, want to paint a Clinton presidency as an extension of President Obama’s term.
The announcement launches Clinton on a second campaign to make history by becoming the first woman to be president.
“She was a formidable candidate in 2008,” Obama said over the weekend. “She was a great supporter of mine in the general election. She was an outstanding Secretary of State. She is my friend. I think she would be an excellent president.”
Republicans, who have launched a new campaign called “Stop Hillary,” wasted no time jabbing Clinton on using a private email server while Secretary of State and accepting donations from foreign countries, such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, to the Clintons’ foundation.
“I think the thing about the Clintons is that there’s a certain sense that they think they’re above the law,” Paul said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Paul is releasing an anti-Clinton ad in early states.