Clinton: Trump is the most dangerous man to ever run for president
Watch "CBS This Morning" and CBSN Tuesday to see more of Charlie Rose's interview with Hillary Clinton
CINCINNATI -- Hillary Clinton believes that Donald Trump is the most dangerous man ever to run for president of the United States.
"What he has laid out is the most dangerous, reckless approach to being president than I think we've ever seen," Clinton said in an hour-long interview with "CBS This Morning" host Charlie Rose Monday.
Rose asked Clinton if Trump is "the most dangerous man ever to run."
"I believe that," Clinton replied. "I believe that."
Clinton's interview, her first since Trump announced his running mate, took place at a campaign stop in Cincinnati, and it comes just days before Trump is set to be nominated by the Republican party at its convention in Cleveland. She was asked by Rose about Trump's vice presidential pick, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and her comment that he's the most extreme vice presidential nominee in a generation on social issues.
"On social issues I believe that's true," Clinton told Rose. "And I recently read that he's not sure he believes in evolution. And since Trump doesn't believe in climate change, you know, perhaps there's a meeting of no minds there."
She also talked a little about her own search for a running mate, though she gave away little about her process. "I've met with a bunch of folks," she said. She evaded a question about how close she is to making a decision. Rose noted that former Virginia Gov. Tim had said he's too boring to be a vice president, which Clinton just laughed off -- she praised him as a "world-class mayor, governor and senator." "First class" was her response to the idea of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Of Elizabeth Warren, Clinton said we should all be grateful for Warren's efforts to put inequality "front and center."
The presumptive Democratic nominee has previously and persistently characterized Trump as "temperamentally unfit" to do the job of president, and cast his proposals as "dangerous" and his style of campaigning as "divisive." But her comments to Rose on Monday went one step further.
Asked about a series of national polls out in the past week that show Trump closing the gap with Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee said that the recent surveys reflect only the beginning of the campaign.
"There is a lot of fear in our country," she said, "and when Americans are worried they're looking for answers. He's providing simplistic, easy answers. 'Let's make America great again,' which means basically, 'We'll go back to the way it was, and who ever you are out there, it will be better.' That is a wrong-headed view of history."
Clinton said she intends to speak to Americans' fears and show the electorate that she can be trusted.
"Part of it is seeking this job at this time of fear, anxiety, discouragement, rejectionism that is, unfortunately, part of our political environment right now," she said. "And I hope by the time we have this election, it will be clear to voters who they can count on."