The state of the world is at stake and only a Republican president can guide America from the current "pivotal point" into the right direction, Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and expected presidential contender, told Breitbart News.
"I think what's at stake is the state of the world, which is a very dangerous and tragic place when we're not leading," Fiorina said, adding that Americans have to band together to rein in the federal government.
"I think what's at stake is our ability to grow this economy. We joke about this being the most important election in our lifetimes, but this is a very pivotal point."
Fiorina, 60, is currently the only Republican woman considering a bid for the White House, with an official announcement expected on May 4. If she receives her party's nomination, Fiorina says the GOP won't have to worry about Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party claiming Republicans are waging a war on woman.
"She wouldn't be able to play the gender card," Fiorina told The Daily Beast, adding that Clinton would be forced to run on her track record rather than "identity politics."
Fiorina took to Facebook on Thursday to criticize recent revelations that Clinton used her position as head of the State Department to steer donations from foreign entities to the Clinton Foundation and to her husband Bill Clinton via exorbitant speaking fees.
"It's the Clinton way: raking in millions from foreign governments behind closed doors while making promises about transparency that they never intended to keep," Fiorina posted on her Facebook page. "Now they're scrambling to refile their taxes and account for her decisions as Secretary of State. The American people will have a choice. Are we going to demand trust and transparency from our leaders? Have we had enough of a ruling political class that doles out favors to the wealthy and well connected few?"
Speaking in Urbandale, Iowa, Fiorina told the audience that Clinton is lacking in the accomplishment department, yet excels at throwing "a punch every time [she has] an opportunity," according to Breitbart. "I can take a punch, and I will throw a punch," Fiorina added.
When Fiorina breached the topic of leadership, she took shots at CEOs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs by saying they aren't the best leaders and certainly aren't heroes.
"Leadership is about unlocking potential in others," she said. Rather, she said the real heroes are small businesses in communities across America, because they're creating two-thirds of the jobs, Breitbart reported.
"Everywhere I have gone, I have figured out everybody has God given gifts," Fiorina said, adding that America's only unlimited resource is human potential, but such potential has been restrained by an overreaching government. Fiorina said she plans to reignite that "spirit of self government" through her strong leadership.
In terms of the ability to lead through global diplomacy, Fiorina noted that she has met and made deals with more world leaders than all other presidential contenders. There's one exception: Hillary Clinton. But Fiorina quipped that unlike Clinton, she wasn't taking photo ops.
