The former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate has been largely absent from national political debates since her defeat last November. But in a speech at Georgetown University on Friday, Clinton took on President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts, saying they’d cut against two of the causes she holds most dear. “This administration’s proposed cuts to international health, development, and diplomacy would be a blow to women and children and a grave mistake for our country,” Clinton said.
.@HillaryClinton: Trump admin's proposed cuts to international health, development and diplomacy would be "a grave mistake for our country." pic.twitter.com/tjY0KitJIv
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 31, 2017
In stressing the “evidence-based case for the role of women,” she drew applause by joking, “Here I go again, talking about research, evidence, and facts.” It was another not-so-subtle knock against Trump, whose administration famously embraced “alternative facts.”
"Studies show, here I go again, talking about research, evidence and facts," @HillaryClinton says to cheers and applause at Georgetown. pic.twitter.com/5Z1S5rPQ8p
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 31, 2017
While former President Barack Obama has continued to keep a low profile, Clinton appears ready to reenter the political fray. In a speech to businesswomen on Tuesday in San Fransisco, she criticized the administration for excluding women from discussions about women’s health. She said, “As I think about the outpouring of activism we’re seeing—despite all the noise and the nonsense—four words keep coming back to me: resist, insist, persist, enlist.”
With public approval ratings for Trump and Republicans hitting new lows, it makes sense Clinton would feel ready to make a return. Greeted by chants of “HILL-A-RY! HILL-A-RY!” as she took the stage for her Georgetown speech, she smiled and said, “Wow. Let’s do that again.”