Hillary Clinton claims she laid the groundwork for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid in self-indulgent op-ed

Hillary Clinton couldn’t resist highlighting her two failed attempts at the presidency and endorsing Kamala Harris as she took on Donald Trump.

The former first lady and secretary of state was defeated in the 2008 Democratic primaries by Barack Obama and in the 2016 election by Trump.

But that didn’t stop Clinton from bragging that she had “won the national election” in 2016, while enthusiastically endorsing Harris and predicting that she could become the first female president of the US.

Vice President Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for 2024 after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race against Trump on Sunday.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for 2024 after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race against Trump on Sunday

Clinton, 76, compared herself to Harris in a piece for the New York Times on Tuesday, portraying herself as a trailblazer for Harris, 59.

“While it still pains me that I was unable to break that highest, hardest glass ceiling, I am proud that my two presidential campaigns made it seem normal for a woman to be at the top of the ticket,” she wrote.

Clinton, who served as her husband Bill’s first lady from 1993 to 2001, explained how she was a victim of sexism as a female presidential candidate.

“I know how difficult it can be for strong female candidates to stand up to the sexism and double standards in American politics,” she wrote.

‘I have been called a witch, a ‘dirty woman’ and much worse. I have even been burned in an effigy.

“As a candidate, I sometimes shied away from talking about making history. I wasn’t sure voters were ready for that. And I didn’t run to break a barrier; I ran because I thought I was the most qualified to do the job.”

She acknowledged that Harris “would face unique additional challenges as the first Black and South Asian woman to lead a major party.”

The former first lady and secretary of state was defeated in the 2008 Democratic primaries by Barack Obama and in the 2016 election by Trump.

Clinton wrote that she was optimistic that Harris could overcome this problem, using the positives of her failed campaign.

“After all, I won the 2016 national election by almost three million votes, and it wasn’t that long ago that Americans overwhelmingly elected our first black president,” she said, referring to Obama.

Clinton also referred to herself when she compared her repeated election defeats to Biden’s “patriotic” decision to abandon his candidacy for a second term.

“As someone who shared that dream and had to make peace with letting it go, I know it wasn’t easy. But it was the right thing to do,” she wrote.

Harris was “chronically underrated, like so many women in politics,” Clinton said, and she had to “cut through the noise” to win the election.

“Harris’ reputation and character will be distorted and discredited by a tidal wave of misinformation and the kind of ugly bias we are already hearing from MAGA spokespeople,” she wrote.

“A second Trump term would be far worse than the first. Mr. Trump’s agenda is more extreme, he is more disorganized, and the guardrails that limited some of his worst instincts are gone.”

Clinton also referred to herself when she compared her repeated election defeats to Joe Biden’s “patriotic” decision to abandon his candidacy for a second term.

Clinton was elected senator from New York after her husband’s term ended, serving until 2009, when Obama appointed her secretary of state.

She served only one term before stepping down to focus on a second run for president, winning the nomination over Bernie Sanders.

Despite winning the census 48.2 percent to 46.1 percent, she lost the Electoral College 227 to 304.

Clinton surrendered in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which are again crucial to Harris’ victory this year.

She also lost Iowa, Ohio and Florida, all of which Obama won in 2012, as well as the other three key swing states.