"Women for Hillary:" Clinton speaks on UWM campus as Republicans weigh in on email controversy

MILWAUKEE -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is set to speak in Milwaukee on Thursday evening, September 10th -- on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus.

The event marked Clinton's first trip to Wisconsin during this presidential campaign.

Hillary Clinton

In her 25-minute speech during her "Women for Hillary" grassroots organizing meeting, Hillary Clinton focused on women, families and students -- and cast heavy criticism on Governor Scott Walker, whom she says has made it his personal mission to defund programs important to women.

"It seems to me just observing him that Governor Walker thinks because he busts unions, starves universities, guts public education, demeans women, scapegoats teachers, nurses and firefighters, then he`s some sort of tough guy on his motorcycle," Clinton said.

Clinton told the crowd packed into UWM's Student Union that she would make college affordable for everyone.

"I want to refinance the student debt that you already have out there," Clinton said.

She promised to fight for a higher minimum wage, funding for Planned Parenthood and better pay for workers -- especially women.

"If advocating for equal pay for equal work is playing the gender card, then deal me in," Clinton said.

Political rallies usually come with few surprises, but on Thursday, minutes before Clinton took the stage, the backdrop unexpectedly collapsed onto the stage.

Backdrop falls ahead of Hillary Clinton speech at UWM

No one was hurt, and the event went on as planned.

"I`d be just thrilled if she was president of the United States," Bernadette Borcher, UWM student said.

During the speech at UWM, Clinton made reference to Dontre Hamilton, the 31-year-old man shot and killed by a former Milwaukee police officer in Red Arrow Park in April 2014.

"Being here in Milwaukee, I just want to say as a mother and a grandmother, my heart breaks for the family of Dontre Hamilton," Clinton said.

Hamilton's mother, Maria and brother, Nate were in the audience.

Meanwhile, the ongoing controversy about Clinton's emails, and the fact that she used personal email accounts on a non-government, privately maintained email server when conducting official business while Secretary of State is what Republicans are talking about.

This week, Clinton apologized.

Hillary Clinton

“I’m sorry about that,” Clinton said Tuesday, September 8th during an interview on ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir,” acknowledging that she should have used separate accounts for work and personal business. “I take responsibility and I am trying to be as transparent as I possibly can.”

"I thought it was insincere," Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch said of Clinton's apology. "When the FBI has to come in and seize the emails of the former Secretary of State, you've got a problem. It is beyond belief that she continues to run for president of the United States."

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Republican Senator Ron Johnson and Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin are also weighing in.

"I believe that she`s been more transparent than even her predecessors as Secretary of State. She`s released everything, and that transparency is important," Senator Baldwin said.

Senator Johnson called Clinton's email practices a dereliction of duty.

Senator Ron Johnson

"Our enemies are very sophisticated in terms of cyber attacks and hacking, so we pretty well have to assume that everything that went over that server might be in the hands of our enemies. So she obviously did pass along classified information," Senator Johnson said.

Johnson stopped short of saying Clinton should be criminally charged.

 

The Republican National Committee issued the following statement on Clinton's speech at UWM: