Hillary Clinton Dismisses Donald Trump: ‘We Were Never Friends’

Hillary Clinton is less than impressed with Donald Trump and his particular brand of politics. In fact, according to the Democratic frontrunner, the two were never friends, even before the presidential primary race began to heat up.

Asked in an interview with People whether or not Clinton could ever be friendly with the billionaire real estate mogul and former entertainer again, particularly in light of the fact that Trump has gleefully made her husband’s past infidelity a primary focus in his own campaign, Clinton was blunt.

“We were not friends,” she said. “We knew each other, obviously, in New York. I knew a lot of people.”

Before Trump jumped ship from the Democratic party and joined the Republican party, he had nothing but praise for Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton.

“Hillary Clinton, I think, is a terrific woman,” Trump said back in March of 2012. “I have known her for years. I live in New York, she lives in New York, and I’ve known her and her husband for years and I really like them both a lot.”

But Trump has long since changed his opinion of he Clintons. In a campaign noted for an unabashed penchant for hurling personal insults at his opponents, Trump’s focus on President Bill Clinton’s infamous affair during his time in the White House isn’t very surprising.

Trump began the personal attack against the Clintons back in December, when he tweeted, “Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE’S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!”

Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE’S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015

Donald Trump’s opening salvo against Trump seemed to pave the way for reporters and others to begin to ask the other candidates, from Bernie Sanders to Rand Paul, whether or not President Bill Clinton’s past is fair game to use against Hillary Clinton during the primary.

Clinton herself, however, seemed undisturbed by Donald Trump’s attacks and brushed them off.

“I don’t really care that much about what he says about me because I do see that as, you know, politics — not particularly the brand I approve of.”

Clinton has been able to smoothly transition Trump’s increasingly personal insults hurled at her into concern for the very people for whom she says she is hoping to represent as president.

“I really care about what he says about other people, who don’t have the voice and the platform, who are never going to be interviewed by People magazine, who could never stand up for themselves and respond to whatever is being said. And I have met so many scared people… hard-working immigrants who are scared. They’re scared what will happen to them. They’re scared that, you know, if he were to be successful — and others on the Republican side because he’s not the only one who makes these comments — what would happen to them and their families.”

Much more concerning to her, Clinton says, is Trump’s view on immigrants and Muslims, and she takes particular concern in Trump’s vitriolic attacks against American Muslims.

“I have looked in the eyes of a lot of American Muslims — doctors, business owners, lawyers, political leaders – and just seeing the confusion, the bewilderment, people who have lived in this country for decades. You know, what is he talking about? Why is he doing this? So I’m more concerned about the tone that is being set in the political debate this year because the last thing our country needs right now is more divisiveness, more mean-spiritedness.”

Daughter Chelsea Clinton, who was also interviewed, was equally dismissive of Donald Trump, saying, “I’ve never had a relationship with Mr. Trump.”

However, Chelsea says she and Ivanka, Trump’s daughter, are friends and remain so.

“My relationship has always been with [Trump’s daughter] Ivanka and certainly I do believe that friendship is more important than politics…. I would never hold anyone accountable for what their parents or anyone else in their family said or did.”

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Staff/Getty Images]