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WATCH: Hillary Clinton Says Yes, I Did Evolve on Marriage
WATCH: Hillary Clinton Says Yes, I Did Evolve on Marriage
NBC's Chuck Todd asks the Democratic front-runner to respond to critics who say her opinions on issues like marriage equality have shifted to curry political favor.
Hillary Clinton sought to clear the air about her record on gay rights and other issues plaguing her run for the White House by sitting down for a one-on-one interview on NBC's Meet the Press.
Her main message: She's "thrilled" the Supreme Court ruled for equal marriage rights in all 50 states, and she concedes that her position on the issue had to "evolve" from support for civil unions for same-sex couples to endorsement of marriage equality.
Clinton joined host Chuck Todd in his Washington, D.C., studio for the 16-and-a-half-minute chat, portions of which were broadcast yesterday.
He showed several clips in a video collection titled "Clinton vs. Clinton," to show how her opinions had changed on the war in Iraq, the Keystone XL pipeline, and marriage equality. Todd asked her how she responded to critics who say her stance on each of those issues changed for political expediency.
"I don't think that it reflects how people who are thoughtful actually conduct their lives," Clinton said.
"On same-sex marriage, like a lot of people, including our president, I did evolve. And I was not raised to even imagine this. And I'm thrilled now that it is the law of the land. And I have a lot of good friends who are now able to be married because of the changes we've made legally and constitutionally."
Her tone in the exchange was firm but far more conciliatory than it was during a tense interview with NPR's Terry Gross in June 2014, in which she was repeatedly challenged on her changing position on marriage:
"I think you are trying to say that I used to be opposed [to gay marriage], and now I am in favor, and I did it for political reasons. And that's just flat wrong. So let me just state what I feel like you are implying and repudiate it. I have a strong record. I have a great commitment to this issue and I am proud of what I've done and the progress we're making."
Watch the entire interview from NBC's Meet the Press below. Clinton addresses marriage equality at 14:00 in.
