A man complimented Hillary Clinton on her close resemblance to a human being at a campaign stop in Connecticut Thursday.
"You are very human. I don’t care what they say. But you are very human," the man said, and Clinton, who has in the past insisted that she is "a real person," laughed with gusto.
Clinton’s authenticity problem has forced her to "reintroduce herself" to the American people numerous times, despite being in the public eye since 1992. Her robotic appearance has also spurred the Clinton campaign to initiate a "humor and heart" strategy that includes "self-effacing humor."
The Democratic frontrunner has also engaged in various spontaneous stunts meant to show her "softer side," including the 'Whip/Nae Nae' dance on The Ellen DeGeneres show, a Snapchat video of her "just chillin’ in Cedar Rapids," and an interview with the Lifetime network.
Despite endeavoring to appear authentic, Clinton has admitted that she is not a "natural politician," and Thursday attributed her low trustworthiness numbers to her difficulty politicking. Scandals have followed Clinton since her days as first lady, from her husband's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky to the ongoing FBI investigation into her use of a private server as secretary of state.
She has also been accused of pandering to gain votes.
After her campaign pitched her to voters as a Latina grandmother, Twitter responded with a critical #NotMyAbuela hashtag. Most recently, Clinton flaunted her love of hot sauce on a radio show in New York. When told she was going to be accused of "pandering to black people," Clinton asked, "Is it working?"
Clinton has said in the past that she is "not even a human being" and that she was "constructed in a garage in Palo Alto."