Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton insisted Thursday that she doesn't understand what rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., means when he says that she is an establishment candidate, suggesting that Sanders is in fact more establishment, reported CNN.
When asked whether she is part of the Democratic establishment during an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room," Clinton replied, "I just don't understand what that means."
CNN's Wolf Blitzer pressed harder, asking, "Are you the establishment?"
"I just don't understand what that means," Clinton said again before going on to suggest that Sanders is more of the establishment than her.
"[Sanders has] been in Congress," she said. "He's been elected to office a lot longer than I have. I was in the Senate for eight wonderful years representing New York. He's been in the Congress for 25 years. And so I'll let your viewers make their own judgment."
Before serving as a Democratic senator, Clinton was the first lady of the U.S. for eight years and then served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, noted The Hill. Sanders, on the other hand, served as an independent in the House of Representatives from 1991 to 2006 and has served as an independent senator since 2007.
Earlier in Clinton's interview, she addressed Sanders' assertion that Planned Parenthood and the Humans Rights Campaign endorsed Clinton because the organization's are also part of the establishment.
"I have to say I didn't understand that at all. Planned Parenthood does so much on the front lines to provide women and men health care, often low income people, people who don't have any alternative," she said. "And of course we know that Planned Parenthood has been under attack constantly from the Republicans both in Congress and in many states. And the Human Rights Campaign has been in the forefront of making sure that LGBT Americans are not discriminated against. They help to lead the battle for marriage equality."
She added: "I really don't understand what he means by that. These are two of the really great human rights progressive organizations in our country. I've worked with both of them a long time. I've worked to get results for the people that they represent and serve and I'm proud to have endorsements from both of them."
