Bill Clinton defends, promotes Hillary at Las Vegas forum

Former President Bill Clinton took on two roles for his wife, Hillary, in Las Vegas on Friday: defender in chief and promoter in chief.

Clinton defended the Democratic presidential nominee against the accusation leveled by Republicans, including nominee Donald Trump, that she endangered national security with her use of a private email account and server while serving as U.S. secretary of state.

Clinton’s vigorous defense in a forum for presidential campaigns at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace came in response to an audience question that almost didn’t happen. After the white-haired elder statesman wrapped up a speech and answered other questions, the music began playing for his exit.

Clinton opted to take one more question, which focused on the email scandal.

Clinton, Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, representing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, spoke at a forum at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. About 2,500 attended.

The forum was hosted by the Asian American Journalists Association and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote.

The former president said Hillary Clinton’s predecessors had also followed that email practice. He also noted that many other diplomats were involved in the email issue.

“Do you really believe there were 300 career diplomats, because that’s how many people (were) involved … all of whom were careless with their national security?” Clinton said. “Do you believe that?”

He added: “Forget about Hillary. Forget about Hillary. Is that deceiving?”

Noting the other former secretaries of state were asked to provide records, Bill Clinton said: “She was the only one who gave anything. You may think that the others were smarter since there’s not much reward in being transparent.”

He acknowledged, as Hillary Clinton has, that it was a mistake.

“The truth is that it was a mistake for her to use her personal email” even though her predecessors did, Bill Clinton said. He added: “But she should have known a different set of rules would be applied to her if she ever ran for president.”

The bulk of Clinton’s time was spent making a case for why Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to be president.

He said her economic policy is rooted in creating jobs by making it easier for young people to get small-business loans; waiving tuition for public college students from families that make $125,000 or less a year; and giving tax incentives for businesses that have apprenticeship programs.

“You want a president like Hillary who sees you as part and parcel of the American quilt of diversity,” Clinton said.

Clinton also stressed his wife supports comprehensive immigration reform.

“She favors immigration reform because there are too many families who still worry every single day about whether they’re going to be broken up,” he said.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Follow @BenBotkin on Twitter.