Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton did not hesitate to criticize one of her top surrogates over the treatment of Syrian refugees at Saturday’s Democratic debate.
Democratic Senate candidate and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan announced that she would not accept any of the 10,000 Syrian refugees President Obama wants to bring to the United States following the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 people. ABC News anchor David Muir asked Secretary of State Clinton whether she supported Hassan’s decision.
"More than half of all Americans now say the oppose taking in refugees from Syria and across the Middle East. Secretary Clinton, you have said that it would undermine who we are as Americans shutting our doors. New Hampshire’s governor, where we are right here tonight, a Democrat, and a supporter of yours is among the 30 governors who are now concerned," Muir said. "Gov. Maggie Hassan says we should halt acceptance of Syrian refugees until U.S. authorities can ensure the vetting process. … Is she wrong?"
Clinton criticized Hassan, who endorsed her for president in September and has since campaigned for her in the nation’s first primary state, saying that such a policy would "sacrifice our values" and turn America into "a nation of fear."
"I don’t think a halt is necessary," Clinton said. "I do believe that we have a history and a tradition that is part of our value system and we don't want to sacrifice our values. We don't want to, you know, make it seem as though we are turning into a nation of fear instead of a nation of resolve."
A Clinton campaign spokesmen did not return request for comment about whether Hassan’s position would affect her role as surrogate in the state.
More than 30 governors said that they would not allow refugees to resettle in their states, but Hassan broke ground by becoming the first Democrat to do so on Nov. 16, three days after the attacks.
Hassan’s Republican opponent, first term Sen. Kelly Ayotte, has made national security a centerpiece of her candidacy. Ayotte serves on the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security committees and has taken Hassan to task for her response to the Paris attacks. Her campaign is currently airing a statewide radio ad criticizing the governor for claiming that ISIS declared war on the west with the Paris attacks.
"They declared war on us in 2012. We've seen our American citizens that have been beheaded and killed from ISIS well before this. We saw that they attempted an attack on our homeland in Texas," Ayotte says in a radio interview quoted in the ad. "For her to say that, that obviously shows a misunderstanding of the depth of this issue."
A narrator concludes the 60-second ad by saying, "Kelly Ayotte understands the terror threat. … Understanding threats to our security is vitally important. Too important to risk on Maggie Hassan."
A Hassan spokesman did not return request for comment.