>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE HERE WITH SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON TALKING
ABOUT HER NEW BOOK "WHAT HAPPENED."
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IS, AS YOU SAID, IT'S
CLEAR THE RUSSIANS WERE TRYING TO INFLUENCE OUR ELECTION.
YOU SAID WHEN YOU WERE ON WITH TERRY GROSS ON NPR, IF IT'S
PROVEN, IF THERE'S A DEEPER CONNECTION, SOME SORT OF
COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA, THAT WOULD
BE GROUNDS TO QUESTION THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ELECTION OF
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) MY QUESTION IS, MY QUESTION IS--
I MEAN, I HAVE THESE FANTASIES, BUT MY QUESTION IS-- SERIOUSLY--
MY QUESTION IS WHAT THEN?
THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM TO QUESTION THE
ELECTION.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: OUR ELECTIONS ARE MESSY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENED.
>> SO AS I SAY IN THE BOOK, YEAH, RIGHT.
( LAUGHTER ) NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT
CONTESTING THE ELECTION, INCLUDING ME.
BUT I DO THINK-- NO, BECAUSE THERE IS NO MECHANISM.
>> Stephen: THIS IS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN THE
CONSTITUTION, UNLUKE THE GUY WHO GOT THE JOB.
>> YEAH, THERE IS NO MECHANISM.
( APPLAUSE ) BUT I THINK LEGITIMACY IS ROOTED
IN WHAT COMES OUT OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS, BECAUSE IF THERE
IS EVIDENCE OF COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION-- WHATEVER IT
MIGHT BE-- THEN I THINK MEDICINE OF AMERICANS ARE GOING TO SAY,
WELL, THOSE RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT LEGITIMACY.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THOSE QUESTIONS, BESIDES ASK THEM?
WHAT YOU DO IS MOBILIZE POLITICALLY TO EXPRESS YOUR WILL
AND YOUR REJECTION OF THAT KIND OF RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT AND
COORDINATION AT THE BALLOT BOX.
I MEAN, THAT IS WHERE WE SETTLE OUR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
>> Stephen: I-- I AGREE.
DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH AT THE U.N.
TODAY?
>> I SAW PARTS OF IT, YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU-- WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY DARK, DANGEROUS, NOT THE KIND OF
MESSAGE THAT THE LEADER OF THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD
SHOULD BE DELIVERING.
( APPLAUSE ) YOU ARE BOTH-- YOU ARE BOTH
REQUIRED TO STAND UP FOR THE VALUES OF WHAT WE BELIEVE IN--
DEMOCRACY AND OPPORTUNITY-- AS A WAY TO DEMONSTRATION CLEARLY THE
UNITED STATES REMAINS THE BEACON THAT WE WANT IT TO BE, WHILE, OF
COURSE, WHEN YOU FACE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS-- LIKE WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN NORTH KOREA-- TO MAKE IT CLEAR YOUR FIRST
APPROACH SHOULD ALWAYS BE DIPLOMATIC.
WHAT I HOPED THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE SAID WAS SOMETHING ALONG
THE LINES OF, "WE VIEW THIS AS DANGEROUS OUR ALLIES, TO THE
REGION, AND EVEN TO OUR COUNTRY.
WE CALL ON ALL NATIONS TO WORK WITH US TO TRY TO END THE THREAT
POSED BY KIM JONG-UN."
AND NOT CALL HIM "ROCKET MAN" THE OLD ELTON JOHN SONG, BUT TO
SAY, CLEARLY, "WE WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ATTACKS ON OUR
FRIENDS OR OURSELVES."
BUT YOU SHOULD LEAD WITH DIPLOMACY.
YOU SHOULD LEAD WITH THE COMMITMENT OF TRYING TO AVOID
CONFLICT, HOWEVER YOU CAN.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT YOU SAY IN THE BOOK IS THAT IN RECOVERING FROM THIS AND
WHILE WRITING THE BOOK, YOU LEANED HEAVILY ON CHARDONNAY.
( LAUGHTER ) SO I WAS WONDERING WHETHER YOU--
WOULD YOU CARE FOR.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH, SURE.
ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, YEAH, YEAH, THERE WERE A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT THIS
HELPED.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GET
OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?
BECAUSE I DID NOT RUN FOR PRESIDENT, AND I COULD BARELY DO
IT.
IN 2000-- I DON'T THINK AL GORE SHAVED FOR A YEAR.
HOW DID YOU-- >> YEAH, THAT WASN'T AN OPTION
FOR ME.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WELL, CHEERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS "WHAT HAPPENED."
LET'S HOPE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
AVAILABLE NOW.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, EVERYBODY.