Hillary Clinton has once again voiced her strong opposition to the Electoral College, labeling it an "abomination" in a trailer for the new Netflix docuseries "The American Experiment." The five-part series, executive-produced by Tom Hanks, examines the history of American democracy.
Clinton, who won the national popular vote but lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump due to the Electoral College outcome, has been a vocal critic of the system since her defeat. In the series trailer, she states, "Well, I personally think the Electoral College is an abomination. For obvious reasons." She previously described the system as "the god-forsaken Electoral College" in her 2017 memoir "What Happened" and told CNN it is "an anachronism that was designed for another time" and "no longer works."
"We’ve moved toward one person, one vote, that’s how we select winners," Clinton said in the CNN interview, adding, "I think it needs to be eliminated, I’d like to see us move beyond it."
The push to abolish the Electoral College has seen increased support from some on the left, particularly following instances where the popular vote winner did not win the presidency. In the "The American Experiment" trailer, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., suggests the system was "defective from the beginning" and that "a minority of the population, because of the structure of the Electoral College — in some cases, over the objections of the majority — is ruling the majority."
Director Brian Knappenberger, discussing Clinton's participation, noted her unique perspective as one of the few individuals in American history to lose the presidency after winning the popular vote, highlighting the significant margin by which she defeated Trump in the popular vote in 2016.
The docuseries features interviews with numerous politicians and historians, including former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, and Al Gore, as well as Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. "The American Experiment" is set to explore how American democracy has been "built, challenged, and reimagined" over its history.
In other recent remarks, Clinton reportedly called President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election bid a "terrible mistake," suggesting he should have passed the torch. This criticism has drawn attention, with some commentators noting the timing and irony given her own past political pursuits.