In a room covered in Planned Parenthood-pink, Hillary Clinton gave her first speech since declaring victory in the Democratic primary. Speaking at a Planned Parenthood Action Fund event she didn’t pull punches in depicting what her presidency would mean. Citing issues like safe abortion, paid family leave, and income equality, Clinton said, “For too long issues like these have been dismissed by many as women’s issues, as though that somehow makes them less worthy, secondary. Well they’re not just women’s issues, they’re family issues, they’re economic issues, they’re justice issues,” before she was interrupted by enormous applause.
As Jeet Heer writes in the New Republic, “as the general election looms ... the Democratic candidate has a chance to reboot her image as a feminist, since that identity will be especially salient against [Donald Trump.]” Clinton’s appearance at an event sponsored by an organization that has fought for the rights of women for a century was apt.
Throughout the speech Clinton wove in digs at Trump. “When Donald Trump says let’s make America great again, that is code for let’s take America backward. Back to a time that opportunity and dignity were reserved for some not all. Back to the days when abortion was illegal, women had far fewer options,” Clinton said. “Well Donald, those days are over.”