Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader says that Hillary Clinton is Wall Street’s “first choice” for president while the GOP’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, is too unpredictable to gain big banks’ backing.
“Of course, she’s a corporatist. She really is for Wall Street,” Nader said during an appearance on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.”
“If you tabulate Wall Street people, she’s their first choice,” added the former Green Party candidate.
Nader has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president and is not yet ready to write off the Vermont senator.
“We don’t know what scandals may befall Hillary Clinton,” Nader said.
“We still have the email situation, we still have her refusal to disclose transcripts before closed-door business conventions who were paying her $5,000 a minute. That’s still up in the air.”
Clinton has been dogged by the FBI’s investigation into her email practices as secretary of state. She has also refused Sanders’ requests to release transcripts of speeches she gave to Goldman Sachs executives.
She was paid $675,000 for three events.
While Nader does not agree with most of Trump’s views, he did suggest that the real estate billionaire will be less beholden to Wall Street than Clinton.
“Donald Trump’s too temperamental, too volatile, too egotistical, too fact-deprived for [Wall Street’s support],” Nader said. “They want something that’s predictable.”
Trump’s success during his White House bid has thrown conventional political alliances on their heads. Wall Street has historically supported Republicans, who tend to support free-marked economic policies and limited government regulation. But Trump has disavowed most outside political donations, a move which has limited Wall Street’s control — and that of other industries — over his campaign.
Trump has also spoken out again Wall Street directly during his populist presidential bid. Last year he said that hedge fund managers are “getting away with murder.” He has also criticized corporations that send jobs overseas and has suggested that he is open to raising taxes on Wall Street income.