Hillary Clinton blasts Trump cuts to State’s budget

Hillary Clinton blasted the White House’s budget proposal in a Friday speech, warning that cuts to diplomacy and international aid could have devastating effects. 

“We are seeing signals of a shift that should alarm us all,” the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of State said in a speech at Georgetown University.

“This administration’s proposed cuts to international health, development, and diplomacy would be a blow to women and children and a grave mistake to our country.

{mosads}“I am pleading that our government will continue its leadership role on behalf of peace in the world because the world must continue this work with or without U.S. involvement,” she said.

Clinton specifically cited a recent letter by 120 retired generals and admirals warning against the prioritization of defense spending over diplomacy. And she quoted Defense Secretary James Mattis, who said during a 2013 speech that “if you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately.”

The Trump administration’s top-line budget calls for cutting State’s budget by more than 25 percent.

Clinton spoke to congratulate recipients of her eponymous award at Georgetown University, given this year to four women who played a role in the peace deals in Colombia. While most of her comments focused on empowering women across the globe, she included a few barbs against Trump.

As she started to present research that bolstered her argument about bringing women to the table in peace negotiations, she jabbed Trump.

“Here I go again, talking about research, evidence and facts,” she said with a smile.

Noting that studies show it’s not factual to claim women are more peaceful than men, she chided White House counselor Kellyanne Conway’s comment about “alternative facts.”

“That belongs in the alternative,” she said with a smile, pausing for dramatic effect as the crowd cheered.