Elections

CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ Mocks Hillary Clinton’s TPP ‘Campaign’ Position: ‘It’s All An Act’ [VIDEO]

Steve Guest Media Reporter
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CNBC’s chief Washington correspondent John Harwood insists Hillary Clinton’s position of being against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is “a campaign thing.”

Monday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” host Joe Kernen belittled Clinton’s campaign flip-flopping as “all an act,” insisting, “All her stances are … No she doesn’t believe that, she’s just saying that … No she’s fine with Wall Street.”

Kernen and Harwood were discussing the possibility of Joe Biden entering the presidential race and challenging Clinton, when Kernen explained, “By definition, if he were to enter in and challenge her, he would be offering an alternative to her. That relationship would end quickly. You wonder about the scuttlebutt of whether the Obama administration really thinks their legacy would be better served with Biden rather than someone who’s already — I think they understand politics and the TPP. You know, they probably aren’t that mad that she’s doing that because they know she’s currying favor. They curried favor, too, so they know you have to curry favor with unions and everything else.”

Kernen explained, “But still, they might prefer Biden to Hillary Clinton. There’s no love lost, I don’t think.”

Harwood said, “Well look, the thing that matters most to President Obama for his legacy, having a Democrat elected the president.”

Kernen retorted, “Yeah, but it’s a third term. Biden would be a third term. Hillary would be different. That’s what everybody is saying.”

Harwood claimed, “That’s immaterial. Their polices a basically the same. And TPP, that’s a campaign thing for Hillary Clinton just like — you remember they talked about renegotiating NAFTA during the 2008 campaign?”

Kernen concluded that Clinton will “be fine with Wall Street” and that many positions that she takes during the campaign are “all an act.”

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