Donald Trump promised us a speech on Hillary Clinton’s past, and on Wednesday, he didn’t disappoint.
On top of calling the former Secretary of State “the most corrupt ever to seek the presidency of the United States,” he also made serious accusations of corrupt conduct during her time as First Lady, Senator from New York, and as the head of the State Department.
One of the more stunning allegations Trump made against Clinton is that Clinton helped the Chinese government build up its economy in return for cash. “Hillary Clinton gave China millions of our best jobs, and effectively let China completely rebuild itself.” Trump said. “In return, Hillary Clinton got rich.”
Trump doesn’t exactly back up these allegations, though he does quote from a book, Clinton Cash, published last year by conservative writer and Brietbart News Editor Peter Schweizer. The book details instances when Bill Clinton was paid to give speeches by foreign business groups while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, like a speech to a business conference called the Huatuo CEO Forum in 2011 for $550,000.
Trump didn’t say, however, what exactly he thinks Hillary Clinton did as Secretary of State that helped the Chinese economy or caused the trade deficit between the United States and China rise. He does mention President Clinton’s support for the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as his support for China’s entrance into the WTO, but both of those events occurred before Hillary Clinton held public office and before Bill Clinton began accepting money to give speeches.