Hillary Clinton’s latest jab at Republican women has reignited her knack for polarizing soundbites. Speaking at a New York City forum on May 1, 2025, she dismissed the idea of a GOP female president as a “handmaiden to the patriarchy.” Her words, dripping with disdain, echo the divisive rhetoric that marked her 2016 campaign.
Newsmax reported that at the 92nd Street Y, Clinton fielded a question from Republican moderator Margaret Hoover about advice for the first female president. She responded by suggesting most Republican women are too beholden to male power structures to lead authentically.
This sweeping generalization, delivered with a smirk, paints a picture of Clinton still nursing old wounds.
Clinton’s remarks hark back to her 2016 “bucket of deplorables” comment, which alienated voters and contributed to her loss against Donald Trump, who secured 304 electoral votes.
The 2025 version feels like a rerun, swapping one insult for another while targeting a new group: conservative women. It’s a bold move for someone who’s no stranger to electoral consequences.
Clinton grudgingly acknowledged a few Republican women as exceptions, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. “Yeah, there are a few,” she quipped, as if handing out rare medals of approval. The condescension in her tone suggests she views herself as the arbiter of female leadership.
Margaret Hoover tossed out former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney as another possible exception.
Clinton didn’t disagree, but her reluctance to expand the list spoke volumes. It’s clear she sees GOP women as a monolith, save for those who align closer to her worldview.
“Don’t be a handmaiden to the patriarchy,” Clinton advised, framing her critique as feminist wisdom. Yet, her words undermine the very agency she claims to champion, reducing Republican women to pawns in a patriarchal game. The irony is thicker than a policy briefing.
Clinton pivoted to praising Kamala Harris, whom she endorsed as a potential female president. “I thought Kamala Harris would be [a good president],” she said, tying her support to her own 2016 aspirations. It’s a familiar refrain from someone who’s made breaking the “glass ceiling” her brand.
At the Democratic National Convention in August 2024, Clinton spoke passionately about that ceiling.
“We put a crack in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” she declared, painting Harris as the heir to her unfinished mission. The rhetoric soars, but it’s hard to ignore the partisan gatekeeping.
“I see Kamala Harris on the other side of those cracks,” Clinton continued in 2024, envisioning Harris as the 47th president. Her May 2025 comments double down on this vision, dismissing GOP women as unworthy of the same dream. It’s less about empowerment and more about picking teams.
Clinton’s 2016 campaign was defined by moments like these—sharp-tongued zingers that thrilled her base but repelled others.
Her “deplorables” remark became a rallying cry for Trump supporters, who turned it into a badge of honor. History suggests this “handmaiden” jab might do the same for conservative women.
“It is, you know, obviously so much harder than it should be,” Clinton said of the path to the presidency. She’s not wrong—barriers persist for women in politics. But her approach, smearing an entire group as complicit in oppression, builds walls instead of bridges.
Clinton’s selective feminism raises questions about her broader message. If only women who share her politics qualify as trailblazers, what’s the point of unity? Her words feel less like advice and more like a litmus test for ideological purity.
Trump’s 2024 victory, with 312 electoral votes, looms large over Clinton’s remarks. Her bitterness toward the GOP, and its women in particular, reads like a refusal to accept the electorate’s choice twice. It’s a curious strategy for someone still preaching about cracking ceilings.