Hillary Clinton LAW ’73 made history Thursday night, becoming the first woman ever to accept a major party’s presidential nomination.
In a passionate speech at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Clinton, the 10th Yale alum to be nominated for president, made the case for her candidacy by discussing her foreign and domestic policies, her personal background and the statements of her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
“With your help, I will carry all of your voices and stories with me to the White House,” Clinton said. “I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, Independents, the struggling, the successful, for all those who vote for me and those who don’t, for all Americans together.”
Yale students, most of whom are Democrats, expressed excitement about Clinton’s official nomination, taking to social media to voice support for her and celebrate the historical moment surrounding her candidacy.
Dasia Moore ’18, a New Haven Organizer at Hillary for America said Clinton’s nomination is a monumental achievement for the former secretary of state, but also for women, girls and progressives nationwide.
“Last night, while watching her and President Obama raise their hands together in victory, I felt overwhelmed with pride at the progress our country has made in bringing more voices to the table, and appreciating those voices,” Moore said Thursday.
Makayla Haussler ’19, communications director for the Yale College Democrats, called Clinton “the most qualified presidential candidate either party has seen,” highlighting her record as a First Lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state.
Haussler said her group is excited to return to campus in the fall to build a coalition of students to campaign for Clinton in Connecticut.
“Hillary Clinton’s nomination made me cry,” Erika Lynn-Green ’18 said. “There’s nothing like the power of representation.”
Lynn-Green said Clinton has her full support for the presidency, though she expressed concerns about her record going to war and mistakes she has made during the election cycle so far.
In March, it was revealed that Clinton used a private email server for official communications instead of using a secure State Department email address. On July 5, after an extensive investigation, FBI Director James Comey called Clinton “extremely careless” in her handling of sensitive information but recommended that she not face criminal charges.
Clinton’s nomination likely comes as a disappointment to many Yale students who supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary elections. In a survey administered by the News to the class of 2019 last summer, 38 percent supported Vermont senator Bernie Sanders for president. Only 23 percent supported Clinton.
Just days before the Democratic National Convention began on Monday, a collection of emails were released showing that top Democratic officials plotted to sabotage Sanders’ campaign in the primary elections, a revelation that heightened contention among Sanders and Clinton supporters.
Scott Remer ’16, a coordinator for Yale Students for Bernie, said his support, and that of other Sanders supporters, stems from strategic concerns.
“Our first priority at this point is defeating Donald Trump,” Remer said. “We think Bernie supporters should work for Clinton’s election and, after her election, push her administration to the left.”
Since she clinched the nomination, Clinton’s platform has already shifted leftward, announcing a proposal earlier this month to eliminate tuition at in-state public colleges and universities for families with annual incomes up to $125,000. The policy echoes Sanders’ call for free tuition at all public colleges and universities in the country.
Moore said this year’s Democratic party platform is the most progressive in U.S. history — a remarkable milestone, she said.
Emmy Reinwald ’17, co-president of the Yale College Republicans, said she does not like Trump but will be voting for him over Clinton in the fall. She took issue with Clinton’s personal character as well as her foreign policy, saying she made poor decisions on Libya as secretary of state.
“The Democratic party has nominated who they want, but [Clinton] will be defeated in November,” Reinwald said. “I think she’s a dishonest and shady person.”
There are 102 days left until the 2016 presidential election.