Yes, Clinton Said The Trans-Pacific Partnership Was The 'Gold Standard' Of Trade Agreements

Matt Vespa | September 27, 2016 9:00 AM

During their first debate face-off, Donald Trump hit Hillary Clinton over her support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump slammed the former first lady, who originally supported the massive free trade agreement, for calling it the “gold standard” of trade agreements. The issue of trade provided Trump with a window to launch the first significant attack against her last night—and yes, Clinton did describe TPP as such. Clinton tried to wiggle her way out of this endorsement of a trade agreement the Trump says will bring about the death knell to American manufacturing.

DONALD TRUMP: You called it the gold standard. You call it the gold standard of trade deals.

HILLARY CLINTON: You know what --

DONALD TRUMP: You said it’s the finest deal you’ve ever seen.

HILLARY CLINTON: No.

DONALD TRUMP: And then you heard what I said about it and all of a sudden you were against it.

HILLARY CLINTON: Well, Donald, I know you live in your own reality, but that is not the facts. The facts are, I did say, I hoped it would be a good deal. But when it was negotiated, which I was not possible for, I concluded it wasn't. I wrote about that -- in my….

DONALD TRUMP: So is it President Obama’s fault?

HILLARY CLINTON: ...before you even announced.

DONALD TRUMP: Secretary, is it President Obama’s fault?

National Public Radio and The Association Press also said that Clinton referred to the trade agreements as the “gold standard” before Democratic opposition began to rise against it, namely from her then-primary opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT):

HILLARY CLINTON, denying Donald Trump's accusation that she called the Trans-Pacific Partnership the "gold standard" of trade agreements: "I did say I hoped it would be a good deal."

THE FACTS: Trump is correct. As secretary of state, Clinton called the deal that was taking shape the "gold standard" of trade agreements, in a 2012 trip to Australia, and championed the agreement in other venues around the world. She did not merely express the hope that it would turn out well.