Hillary Clinton conducted her very first national television interview on Tuesday as a 2016 contender, nearly three months after she announced her candidacy, and her interviewer was not impressed.
CNN’s Brianna Keilar scored the first formal sit-down with the Democratic frontrunner since her announcement, immediately drawing criticism from some conservatives who point to Keilar’s cozy relationship with Clinton staffers as an indicator she would be easy on her.
However, Keilar did not hold back in her assessment of Clinton’s performance immediately after the interview aired.
"I didn't hear a more open or transparent Hillary Clinton," Keilar said.
Keilar said Clinton was not forthcoming while talking about her primary challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) or the possibility of a dynastic challenge from Jeb Bush. Most notably, Keilar pointed to Clinton’s denial of having a trust deficit with American voters following months of scandals.
"The big issue has to do with her trust. She insists that voters should and do trust her," Keilar said. "At the same time, we see in our recent poll, nearly six in ten Americans say they don't find her honest or trustworthy. That's very significant, credibility so key to leadership."
A CNN poll found 57 percent of Americans d0 not believe Clinton was honest or trustworthy, yet Clinton insisted "people should and do trust me."