Hassan dodges on whether Clinton is honest, trustworthy

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan skirted multiple opportunities to say outright whether she considers Hillary Clinton honest and trustworthy — attributes that have long dogged the Democratic presidential nominee in state and national polls even as she extends her advantage over Donald Trump.

Asked in an interview aired Tuesday on CNN whether Clinton is "honest and trustworthy," Hassan first replied, "I support Hillary Clinton for the presidency because her experience and record demonstrate she's qualified to hold the job."


Pressed on whether she sees the former secretary of state as honest, the governor, facing a tough Senate race against incumbent Republican Kelly Ayotte, commented onClinton's "critical, critical plan among others for making college more affordable."

"But do you think she's trustworthy?" CNN's Manu Raju inquired, to which Hassan responded, "I think that she has demonstrated a commitment always to something beyond herself, bigger than herself."

CNN said Hassan's campaign later reached out to clarify that the governor does see Clinton as honest.

Clinton has long battled the perception that she is not honest or trustworthy over her decades in public, acknowledging on multiple occasions that she knows she has to work for public approval. Trump has scored similarly low in terms of honesty and trustworthiness.