Chelsea Clinton reveals vicious things trolls have tormented her with
As the only child of former president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton knows a thing or two about public scrutiny. And while the 40-year-old knows that media attention inevitably follows her family, she's opened up about the ugly side of being a former first kid.
In a new interview on Spotify's podcast Jemele Hill is Unbothered, Ms Clinton spoke about the hateful comments she regularly receives from the public, even when she's with her young children. When Ms Hill asked if people are ever mean to her face, the author recounted some of the worst comments she's heard.
"Oh, everything that people say to me on Twitter, they say to me in person," Ms Clinton replied. "Like, 'I wish you were dead.' I'm sorry you feel that way. 'I wish your mother aborted you.' I'm sorry you feel that way. 'I wish you had died in Benghazi and then maybe your mother would have had a different reaction.' Like, 'I hope your children die so your family's line dies with you.' Like, 'I hope your kids wind up in ashes, like that's where all Jewish kids should wind up.'"
Ms Clinton admitted, "the amount of hate is so intense." And while she said it doesn't happen all too often, the vitriol "definitely" affects her. "You're always like — what else can you say? ''I’m so sorry you feel that way. I don't feel that way about your kids. I wish you nothing but the best, hope you have a better day tomorrow.' You know?"
It's not just her own children she feels protective of — Ms Clinton explained that she feels a special kinship with other first children, including Sasha and Malia Obama and Jenna and Barbara Bush.
"I very much felt protective of the Bush twins who were just a little bit younger than me and certainly very protective of Sasha and Malia. I wanted them to have as normal a life as possible. I knew that was going to be hard," she explained, describing their bond as "a sorority of sorts."
Ms Clinton said she even feels "very protective" of Barron Trump, President Donald Trump's youngest son, who is 14.
"I think he was 11 when his dad won and that's a year younger than I was when my dad took office. Like, he's a kid," she said, adding that she especially despises when people comment on the appearances or clothing choices of children. "Don't objectify this kid. I think he just turned 14. He's a teenager, leave him alone."
Ms Clinton clarified that she has no qualms criticizing President Trump — she called him "a racist, Islamophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic, transphobic human being" on the podcast — but said Barron Trump should be off limits.
"I will, you know, have a whole lot of sympathy for any critiques, criticism, pain, anger you want to hurl at his parents," she said of Barron. "But leave him alone."
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