Clinton Just Said Nancy Reagan Helped Start ‘A National Conversation’ About AIDS, Which Is Insane
Democratic Candidate Accused of Re-Writing History
Hillary Clinton Friday afternoon credited Nancy Reagan with helping to start a national conversation about HIV/AIDS.Â
“It may be difficult for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS in the 1980s,” Clinton told MSNBC while attending the former First Lady’s funeral at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
“And because of President and Mrs. Reagan – in particular Mrs. Reagan – we started a national converation, when before, nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it. That too is something that I really appreciate, with her very effective low-key advocacy. But it penetrated the public conscience, and people began to say, ‘Hey, we have to do something about this too.'”
Late President Reagan and the late First Lady are widely remembered as having ignored the HIV/AIDS crisis, allowing what some say are countless more deaths as a result of their refusal to act. Many believe had the disease been prevalent among non-minority citizens it would have received far greater attention and funding. During last year’s Ebola fear, the federal and state governments mobilized even before there was a single case in the U.S., leaving many to ask why that didn’t happen under Reagan’s watch, for people with HIV/AIDS.
Hillary Clinton: The Reagans, particularly Nancy, helped start “a national conversation” about HIV and AIDS. https://t.co/7sZp8X53fb
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 11, 2016
Many took to social media immediately to express outrage and refute the claim.
Attorney and journalist Glenn Greenwald:
Some late efforts, but this is offensive, revisionist bullshit https://t.co/ByFwz31mtI – https://t.co/NhCQPYHQnb https://t.co/2wt20XDJYW
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 11, 2016
This video of Reagan’s press secretary talking about AIDS is literally nauseating https://t.co/8hp2xPb7oW – history: https://t.co/FVOoWIEPKR
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 11, 2016
Buzzfeed Legal Editor Chris Geidner, who points to his story about the Reagan White House ignoring their friend Rock Hudson’s pleas for help, weeks before his death:
The White House did not decide that AIDS would be an issue to “get into†until nearly 2 years after Hudson’s death. https://t.co/LRe9HS0jab
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) March 11, 2016
Human Rights Campaign president and Clinton supporter Chad Griffin:
While I respect her advocacy on issues like stem cell & Parkinson’s research, Nancy Reagan was, sadly, no hero in the fight against HIV/AIDS
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) March 11, 2016
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who kept her response short:
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) March 11, 2016
Others, too:
Sometimes you can’t have it both ways. So, so insulting to some real heroes. https://t.co/CbDHwIQyA5
— Christian Turner (@christor) March 11, 2016
To Clinton’s point, Reagan White House started a conversation on AIDS. It went like this: https://t.co/AdWOzC6iuc pic.twitter.com/MgTcpzUqVz
— DENALI (@timothypmurphy) March 11, 2016
Hillary Clinton should be ashamed of herself. The Reagans dragged their feet on AIDS. Also: https://t.co/pf8j1I40fl https://t.co/oKnf4hRaYG
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) March 11, 2016
The New Civil Rights Movement has reached out to the Clinton campaign for comment but has yet to receive a response.Â
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