Wash. Post Says Clinton Questioned Whether Sanders “Is Qualified To Be President”

Wash. Post: Clinton “Questioned” Sanders' Qualifications Following His NY Daily News Interview. An April 6 Washington Post article reported in its headline and lead that Hillary Clinton had questioned whether her rival Bernie Sanders “is qualified to be president” during an April 6 appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe. During the segment, Clinton said Sanders may not have “done his homework” for his interview with the New York Daily News editorial board, which she said “raise[s] a lot of questions” about whether he understands certain issues. Under the headline “Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,” the Post wrote:

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Wednesday questioned whether her rival in the Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), is qualified to be president. “I think he hadn't done his homework and he'd been talking for more than a year about doing things that he obviously hadn't really studied or understood,” Clinton said in an interview on MSNBC's “Morning Joe,” just one day after losing the Wisconsin primary to Sanders, “and that does raise a lot of questions.” Clinton's comments follow a New York Daily News interview with Sanders that critics say revealed his inability to explain specifically how he would accomplish goals such as breaking up the biggest banks. [The Washington Post, 4/6/16]

Morning Joe Panel: Clinton “Clearly Did Not Say Bernie Sanders Was Not Qualified To Be President.” On the April 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough disputed the Post's characterization of Clinton's comments. He said that during the April 6 interview, “I tried to get Hillary Clinton four times -- three or four times -- to say that Bernie Sanders was unqualified to be president of the United States,” and “I gave up because she was not going to say the words 'He is unqualified to be president of the United States.'” MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle agreed, noting, “She clearly did not say that Bernie Sanders was not qualified to be president.” [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 4/7/16]

Sanders Campaign Cited Post Article For False Claim That Clinton “Said [Sanders] Wasn't Qualified”



Sanders Points To Post Article To Justify Calling Clinton's Qualifications Into Question. At a campaign rally on April 6, Sanders said "[Clinton] has been saying lately that she thinks I am quote-unquote not qualified to be president. Let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don't believe that she is qualified..." The Sanders campaign reportedly said “Sanders was referring to this WP story when he said HRC said he wasn't qualified,” according to ABC journalist Liz Kreutz, who linked to the Washington Post article claiming Clinton questioned Sanders' qualifications. [The Washington Post, 4/6/16] Sanders camp says Sanders was referring to this WP story when he said HRC said he wasn't qualified https://t.co/DtSB81gxiw @maryaliceparks -- Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) April 7, 2016 [Twitter.com, 4/6/16] CNN's Chris Cuomo: “Sanders Was Responding To Being Told That ... The Clinton Campaign Said He Was Unqualified.” On the April 7 edition of CNN's New Day, co-host Chris Cuomo pointed out that Sanders' attack on Clinton was a response “to being told that the campaign, the Clinton campaign said he was unqualified. That's why he is holding qualified in quotes” : CHRIS CUOMO (CO-HOST): Senator Sanders was responding to being told that the campaign, the Clinton campaign said he was unqualified. That's why he is holding qualified in quotes. He is taking what they said about him and then returning it on the merits of what he said. I just don't think he deserves that much of a black eye for raising this. Fair point? REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Well I'm not sure that the Clinton campaign ever said that. CUOMO: But that's what he says. “They're saying that I'm not qualified. Well I don't think Secretary Clinton is qualified,” and that's where that came from. It's not like he just initiated this. Fair point? [CNN, New Day, 4/7/16] Media Repeat False Characterization, Claim Clinton Said Sanders “Isn't Qualified” Fox's Brian Kilmeade: “Hillary Clinton Says Bernie Sanders Isn't Qualified For The White House.” On the April 7 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade said, “Hillary Clinton says Bernie Sanders isn't qualified for the White House. But Bernie says, right back at ya.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 4/7/16] CNN's Don Lemon: "She's Saying Basically He's Not Qualified." On the April 6 edition of CNN Tonight, CNN's Don Lemon said, “At first they were very cordial, but I mean, they're going back and forth with each other now. She had an interview with our Chris Cuomo this morning, basically again saying that, you know, Bernie Sanders is.... She's saying basically he's not qualified.” [CNN, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, 4/6/16]