Clinton defends April Ryan, Rep. Maxine Waters in speech

Hillary Clinton gave the closing remarks Tuesday’s Professional Business Women of California conference in San Francisco, taking a moment to defend both a White House reporter and Democratic lawmaker as examples of the “indignities” facing “women who were simply doing their jobs.”

“Just look at all that’s happened in the last few days to women who were simply doing their jobs,” Clinton said.

{mosads}”April Ryan, a respected journalist with unrivaled integrity, was doing her job just this afternoon in the White House press room when she was patronized and cut off trying to ask a question.”

Clinton was referring to an exchange between White House press secretary Sean Spicer and the veteran journalist on Tuesday in which Spicer told Ryan to “stop shaking your head” as she asked a question.

Spicer accused Ryan, a correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, for pushing an agenda with her questions.

“April, hold on, it seems like you’re hell-bent on trying to make sure that whatever image you want to tell about this White House stays,” he said.

Clinton also referenced Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s comment about Rep. Maxine Waters’s (D-Calif.) hair, which he called a “James Brown wig.”

“One of our own California congressmen Maxine Waters was taunted with a racist joke about her hair,” Clinton said. “Too many women, especially women of color, have had a lifetime of practice taking precisely these kinds of indignities in stride.”

“But why should we have to? And any woman who thinks this couldn’t be directed at her is living in a dream world.”