'This Week' Transcript: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR 'THIS WEEK' ON April 17, 2016 and it will be updated.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: And Hillary Clinton joins us now from Los Angeles. Madam Secretary, thank you for joining us this morning. So you know, we just showed that ad form Senator Sanders focusing on the speaking fees right there in New York, on fundraisers in California. Are you worried those issues are giving him the ammunition he needs to take you on and take you down?

HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I’m not, George. You know, he knows very well that I have been supporting the fight for fifteen. That the whole movement behind fight for fifteen that is really fueled by unions and activists has actually endorsed me. So look, let’s look at what’s really at stake here. We’re having a vigorous back and forth about raising the minimum wage, which we both support. And the Republicans don’t want to do that at all. In fact, Donald trump has said that American workers are paid too much.

So I think So I think at the end of the campaign that is certainly hard fought they’re going to be a lot of charges and all kinds of misrepresentations, but I don’t think voters are confused by that. They know that I stood with Governor Cuomo when he increased the minimum wage in New York. They know that I’ve been supporting minimum wage increases and that I want to get where we are $7.25 an hour to the highest minimum wage we’ve had nationally and keep urging states and cities to go even further.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Part of the confusion is that Thursday night, for the first time, you did say that you would sign a 15 dollar federal minimum wage into law and in the first debates, you actually cited concerns about a 15 dollar federal minimum wage. I want to show you a debate in November.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CLINTON: The overall message is that it doesn’t result in overall job loss. However, what Allen Krueger said in the piece you’re referring to is that if we went to 15 dollars there are no international comparisons. That is why I support a 12-dollar national federal minimum wage.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: You cited that concern of Alan Krueger. The other concern he had is that in low wage areas, the increase to 15 would actually cost jobs, so is your opposition now to the 15 dollar minimum wage, does it still stand on substantive grounds or are you for it?

CLINTON: You know, George, I know everybody wants to make this some kind of big contrast. Well, it isn’t. You know, Bernie Sanders came out and said the legislation passed in New York was a model for the nation, and you know what that model is? That model is a phased in minimum wage increase to get to 15 dollars in the city and surrounding areas, to get to 12-12.50 upstate, but to be constantly evaluating the economic conditions so that there is no unintended consequence of lost jobs. That has been my position and that is exactly what New York just voted for. And for federal legislation if it has the same kind of understanding about how we have to phase this in, how we have to evaluate it as we go. If the Congress passes that, of course I would sign it.

But again, I just have to underscore, I think their campaign is trying to make something where there is nothing. The people behind the fight for fifteen support me, not him. The people who I have worked with to try and raise visibility about this important is stand with me. And I want to do what has not been accomplished. And that is to overcome Republican opposition, including by the Republican candidates for president, to finally give hardworking people, the majority of whom are women, the kind of raise they deserve.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That ad also does hit those the speaking fees that you’ve had to deal with so many times and the question of whether or not you’re going to release the transcripts. Even your strong supporter Senator Kristen Gillibrand here in New York says you’ll release those transcripts. You said you’d do it when everybody else does, but what is the concern? That releasing those speeches would show you praising Wall Street?

CLINTON: No, I don’t have any concerns like that. I’m just conferenced about a constantly changing set of standards for everybody else but me. You know, we have certain expectations when you run for president, one of which is release all of your tax returns ever since you’ve been in public life. That’s what I’ve done and 33 years of them are in the public domain. Eight years are on my website. Now all of a sudden, there’s a new standard. And I’ve said when it applies to everybody, you bet. I will meet that standard as well.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But not until then, even though Senator Gillibrand said you will release them?

CLINTON: Well, in accordance with the standard that I’ve set, I absolutely will do. I will do that. I’ve said that repeatedly.

STEPHANOPOULOS: The ad also has been picked up—the idea in that ad has actually been picked up by Donald Trump just today. He has a new nickname for you. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I fly in… And what does that mean? That means I’m not controlled by special interests, by the lobbyists. They control crooked Hillary.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: that’s the new nickname. “Crooked Hillary.” Your response?

CLINTON: I don’t respond to Donald Trump and his string of insults about me. I can take care of myself. I look forward to running against him if he turns out to be the Republican nominee if I am the Democratic nominee. What I’m concerned about is how he goes after everybody else. He goes after women. He goes after Muslims. He goes after immigrants. He goes after people with disabilities. He is hurting our unity at home. He is undermining the values that we stand for in New York and across America. And he’s hurting us around the world. He can say whatever he want to say about me. I really could care less.

I’m going to stay focused on the issues because there are stark difference between where I think our country needs to be headed and where he would turn us back and undermine the progress that we’ve been making. So when I talk about jobs, when I talk about climate change, when I talk about equal pay, when I talk about a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, and so much else, I know that he doesn’t believe any of that. And that in this campaign he wants to set Americans against each other and I’m not going to stand for it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: One more issue that came up in the debate Thursday night. Bernie Sanders actually predicted that he would win the nomination, then went on to say this:

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Secretary Clinton cleaned our clock in the Deep South, no question about it. We got murdered there. That is the most conservative part of this great country. That’s the fact. But you know what? We’re out of the Deep South now.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, president Clinton called that a sneering reference to your wins in the south and your supporter, Congressmen Meeks, said that is was demeaning to black voters. Is that how you took it?

CLINTON: I don’t know what he was talking about, because last time I looked at a map of the United States, the south was a part of our country like every other region and I’m thrilled to have support—you know, when you win Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, those are all states that we can put into play in the general election. When you win Massachusetts and Ohio and Illinois and Missouri and Texas and Arizona and Nevada and a lot of other places, from the north to the south to the east to the west, that illustrates how far ahead of him and why. Because I value every voter.

I’m not writing any individual and I’m certainly not writing off any state or region of our country. That’s why I have 2-3.4 million more votes than he does – and by the way, 1.4 million more than Donald Trump. Because I want to be the president for all of America and I particularly want to support Democrats in states that have been voting against Democratic candidates for a while now. To rebuild the Democratic Party. We’re going to try to make Georgia competitive and we’re going to fight hard in North Carolina and Virginia and Florida.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, this race is getting increasingly nasty every week that goes by. Is it getting harder to heal the party?

CLINTON: No, I don’t think so. You know, you remember I went all the way till June in 2008 and I had a lot of supporters who were incredibly disappointed when I dropped out but I immediately endorsed then-Senator Obama. I worked hard to convince my supporters to support him as well. I nominated him at the convention and I moved for his nomination by acclimation in order to have a unified Democratic Party. Let’s keep in mind what’s most important here. That is defeating whoever the Republicans put up.

I think the Republicans are going to play all kinds of games. They’re going to try to sow discord among Democrats between our campaigns. I, for one, am not going to be fooled by that. I’m going to keep working hard in my campaign and I’m going to hope to secure the nomination and then to work to win the support of the voters who supported Senator Sanders.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You’re senior senator here in New York, Chuck Schumer has sponsored a bill backed by the 9/11 families that would give them the right to sue state sponsors of terror in federal court. Now, it’s opposed by the Obama administration. They say it’s going to expose the US and its officials to retaliation. So who’s right here, Senator Schumer or President Obama?

CLINTON: I don’t really know about that, George. I’ll have to look into it. Obviously we’ve got to make anyone who participates in or supports terrorism pay a price. And we also have to be aware of any consequences that might affect Americans, either military or civilian or our nation. So I’m not---

STEPHANOPOULOS: (CROSSTALK) You don’t’ know about—It’s been around for several years.

CLINTON: Well, I know there’s been an issue about it for quite some time. I don’t’ know about the specific legislation that you’re referring to, but obviously I’ll look into it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, so-- but you’re not prepared to say now whether you support or oppose it?

CLINTON: I can’t. I haven’t studied it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Finally—

CLINTON: Unlike some people, I actually do try to learn what’ sat the core of any question before I offer an opinion, cause you know, it’s not enough to say what’s wrong. I think you’ve got a responsibility to say how you’re going to fix it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Finally, on Fox News Sunday last week, President Obama defended you on the email issue, saying he’s confident you didn’t jeopardize national security, even though he said there was carelessness in managing your emails. Have you ever spoken to President Obama about this and do you agree with his conclusion that you were careless?

CLINTON: I have not spoken to him. I appreciate what he said because of course I never endangered national security. That’s absolutely false. And I’ve said it was a mistake. It wasn’t the best choice. And now we know Colin Powell had a private email account. Aides to Condi Rice. So I think that what’s going on will be resolved. Obviously all of us will go forward knowing what we now know making sure that no one can raise any questions in the future.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Confident of victory Tuesday?

CLINTON: I’m very hopeful. I love being in New York. I love campaigning in New York, downstate, upstate, everywhere in the state. We’re going to work as hard as we can because I also want to elect Democrats. You know, I am raising money to elect other Democrats. I’m a Democrat. And I want to see us take back the Senate. I want to see us have a very strong showing in the House. I want to take back governorships and state legislatures, all up and down the ticket.

So I want to win in New York, of course, and I want to secure the nomination, but not just for me. I want to bring along a lot of Democrats because I want to protect and further the progressive agenda that President Obama has worked for and that I believe in.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Secretary Clinton, thanks for joining us.

CLINTON: Good to talk to you. Thank you.

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