Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned an audience of 400 Stanford community members about the danger former President Donald Trump poses to democracy.
In a seminar at Hauck Auditorium on Sunday, Clinton emphasized the importance of the upcoming presidential election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, urging students to be more mindful of disinformation they might see in the weeks leading up to Election Day. The event was part of the speaker series class “Election 2024: Democracy on the Ballot,” led by adjunct professor Jim Steyer J.D. ’83.
“We are in a contest between autocracy and democracy,” Clinton said. “We need people here at Stanford to think about their role in it.”
Clinton, who endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention in August, condemned Trump’s rhetoric and actions. She likened Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin who, she said, makes an enemy of anyone who disagrees with him.
“Trump said, ‘Vote for me one more time, and you’ll never have to vote again,”’ Clinton said. “Pay attention. There is no safe haven under Trump.”
Steyer, who moderated the discussion, said he “won’t invite election deniers” to his class, pointing to what he said he considers radicalism in the Republican Party.
Referencing the violent attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 following the last presidential election, Clinton said it was “so chilling” that Trump could have sat in the White House’s dining room while rioters attacked police officers and built gallows.
Clinton said that while Trump will certainly deny the election results again in the case of his defeat, there is little he could do if he is not a sitting president.
Clinton criticized the Electoral College as a “slave state compromise” and called it “a serious impediment to democracy” when discussing election procedures. She said it is difficult to maintain a pluralistic country when presidential elections are determined by a select few states. Steyer agreed, saying California votes are useless in swaying the election results.
Clinton warned the audience about the prevalence of disinformation online, citing a statistic from Democratic Senator Mark Kelly that 20% to 30% of political information online was coming from Russia, China or Iran. TikTok, she further noted, is influenced heavily by China.
In the current election cycle, there has been misinformation in right-wing circles regarding federal aid to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene and the debunked claim by J.D. Vance that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Ohio.
In her own 2016 presidential campaign, Clinton said she herself faced misinformation, in a conspiracy known as “Pizzagate.”
“Who would believe I’m running a child trafficking ring under a pizzeria?” Clinton said. Still, according to Clinton, that lie impacted the results of that election by influencing a significant margin of voters.
Bringing the conversation back to the upcoming election, Clinton said to Stanford students in the auditorium that they “are choosing between someone who believes in the Constitution, laws… being a president for all — and someone who doesn’t.”
“Give thought to what it means to be a citizen in democracy, and you shouldn’t give up on yourself or your country,” Clinton said.
Chris Badillo ’25, the president of Stanford in Government, said Clinton’s message resonated with him and that fellow students “can create so much impact by choosing to make public service and policy an integral part of how we engage with our communities.”
Steyer said there was a paradox where some politicians claimed to care for children but blocked or gutted acts like the Affordable Health Care (ACA). Project 2025, a policy list compiled by conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, has been previously praised by Trump and proposes the dismantling of the ACA.
“The rhetoric about children never matches the results,” Clinton said.
Steyer specifically emphasized Clinton’s history of work with childcare, especially under mentor Mary Wright Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in the 1970s. During the event, he played an ad from Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign detailing her commitment to child advocacy for forty plus years.
Clinton said that back in “the days when evidence mattered,” she and the CDF shared their canvassing information with Congress. There was no law that ensured disabled children had the right to education, she said, and a large number of children were not enrolled in schools. Her three biggest victories in child advocacy were the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Family Medical Leave Act, she said.
Following their conversation over policies, Steyer drew attention to Clinton’s new book, “Something New, Something Gained,” which Clinton described as a collection of essays “about love, life and liberty.”
Clinton said the book’s title was derived from Joni Mitchell’s song “Both Sides Now. The book was inspired by Mitchell’s Grammy performance earlier this year after she recovered from a brain aneurysm, Clinton said.
Steyer highlighted Clinton’s work in public service spanning over five decades, including as First Lady, U.S. Senator for New York, Secretary of State and a professor at Columbia University in the School of International and Public Affairs.
“Her voice was definitely one that we needed to hear at the right time,” Rishi Jeyamurthy ’28 said. “I think with less than a month until election day, it’s important to hear what she has to say now.”
Ella Grossman ’28 spoke to Clinton after the event and she said she has a single mom and looked up to Clinton.
“Whenever I see a very strong woman breaking all the glass ceilings and really advocating for things that she’s incredibly passionate about, it serves as an inspirational force to me and encourages me to go out there and kick ass like Secretary Clinton does,” Grossman said.
Jenny Wang contributed reporting.