Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke to an adoring crowd of thousands Thursday night at the Toronto Enercare Centre.
During the talk she reflected on the presidential election, the role of sexism in politics and the damage Russia has done to American democracy.
But she opened the night by revealing her love of Canada.
“I received more than a couple invitations to move to Canada,” Clinton said.
Before launching her book tour, Clinton spent her summer vacationing in Quebec with her family.
“No two nations in the world are closer than Canada and the U.S.,” she said, after a shout out to her Canadian volunteers.
She even took a shot at President Donald Trump’s immigration policies by saying she appreciates ‘Canada’s open society that embraces immigrants.’
The only way to get sexism out of politics is to get women into politics
—Hillary Clinton
Promoting her new memoir
Toronto is the first stop on the Canadian leg of promoting her new memoir “What Happened.”
In it she reflects on the 2016 presidential election campaign, it’s aftermath and being a prominent woman in politics. She warns about the damaging assault on American democracy by foreign actors.
In the first week of its release “What Happened” sold over 300,000 copies, according to publisher Simon & Schuster.
Sexism in politics
Hillary Clinton answers questions from moderator Caroline Codsi, founder and president of Woman in Governance. (Emilie Must/TORONTO OBSERVER)
The main topic of the night was the sexism that Clinton faced during the election and throughout her career.
She recalled how President Trump for the way he stalked her during the second debate, and how as a woman she thought she had to keep her composure or face a backlash.
“I kind of think that you want a president who is composed, who can keep his composure,” she said.
Clinton also praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s policy of having a gender balanced cabinet.
“The only way to get sexism out of politics is to get women into politics,” she said.
Clinton condemned the idea that women are only seen favourably when campaigning for others.
“Women are really good at serving people, their constituency.” she said.
Clinton particularly denounced the assault on truth that she says Trump has unleashed.
“There is no such thing as an alternative fact,” she said.
She cast much of the blame on Trump, but also Russian propaganda and it’s massive disinformation campaign she describes as an ongoing threat.
Clinton also attacked Julian Assange who she said “is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Russian intelligence agency.”
“We are living through an all out assault on truth and reason,” she said. “We must insist on truth and accuracy.”
Looking forward
Clinton told the crowd she was going to stay engaged and continue to fight for democracy.
“I’m not going anywhere, but into the middle of debates,” she said.
She also didn’t want anyone to give up when it gets too hard, instead they should keep moving forward.
“We cannot just move on,” she said. Instead everyone must “resist, persist, insist and enlist.”