Hillary Clinton on Sunday sharpened her attacks on Bernie Sanders over the Vermont senator’s record on gun control, just hours ahead of their third debate as both vie for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“I am very pleased that he flip-flopped on the immunity legislation,” Clinton told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” a day after Sanders, who had been hammered by her campaign for his past position, announced he would change course and back legislation to reverse a 2005 law granting firearm manufacturers legal immunity.
Gun loophole
She then called on her rival to do the same with the so-called “Charleston loophole,” which allows licensed dealers, once they have initiated a federal background check, to complete the gun sale in question if they haven’t hears back from authorities after three days.
Health care
Clinton also defended her campaign’s decision to employ daughter Chelsea as a surrogate and critic of Sanders.
At an event last week, Clinton’s daughter accused the Vermont senator of attempting to “dismantle” popular programs like Medicare as part of his push for single-payer health care.
But Clinton defended the comment Sunday, calling it “factual” and suggesting Chelsea had not sought out the issue, but simply “been asked a question.”
FBI investigation
Asked about the ongoing probe into her use of a private email server during her time leading the State Department, Clinton said he not been interviewed by the FBI.
Clinton is not under investigation by the bureau, and is not the subject of any criminal investigation, but her use of the private server — instead of a more deeply encrypted government account — set off what’s known as security referral, or inquiry into the location of certain pieces of classified information.
Republicans’ suggestions that Clinton’s server holds previously unseen communications about the deadly 2012 assault on the American outpost in Benghazi, Libya, has provided fodder for a long series of political attacks.
Still, Clinton said she had not yet seen the new movie about the Benhazi raid, released nationally last week, which doesn’t name her but does cast blame on bureaucratic officials for not doing more to aid the contractors and U.S. ambassador killed after militants stormed their compound.
Health records
The former secretary of state also addressed the pressure on the 74-year-old Sanders to release his medical records.
“I’ve released my medical records and I remember being asked frequently to do so,” Clinton said, adding she would the decision was now “up to his campaign.”
On Saturday, Clinton’s own campaign chairman, John Podesta, seemed to push back again super PAC chief David Brock.
“Chill out,” he wrote in a tweet after reports of the group’s plans began to spread. “We’re fighting on who would make a better President, not on who has a better Physical Fitness Test.”
Speaking with Tapper after Clinton, Sanders said he was healthy and planned on releasing details soon.