Facing pressure from Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in the short term, and Donald Trump in the long term, Clinton revised her stance. In a statement released on her website, the presumptive Democratic nominee wrote: “Based on what I know so far, I can’t support this agreement.”
“I still believe in the goal of a strong and fair trade agreement in the Pacific as part of a broader strategy both at home and abroad, just as I did when I was Secretary of State. I appreciate the hard work that President Obama and his team put into this process and recognize the strides they made. But the bar here is very high and, based on what I have seen, I don’t believe this agreement has met it.”
In February, Clinton further revised her relationship with the trade agreement, arguing that she didn’t fully support the agreement until it was finalized, and when it was finalized, she opposed it.
“I waited until it had actually been negotiated because I did want to give the benefit of the doubt to the (Obama) administration,” she said. “Once I saw what the outcome was, I opposed it.”
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