Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said that the GOP 2016 field is on "a spectrum of hostility" towards immigrants, accusing Republicans of failing to condemn Donald Trump immediately for his controversial comments about Mexicans.
Clinton told CNN in an interview that she is "very disappointed" in Trump's remarks, adding that the Republicans seeking the White House are "all in the same general area on immigration."
"They range across a spectrum of being either grudgingly welcome or hostile towards immigrants," she said, adding that none - including Jeb Bush - back a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented population.
"If he did at one time, he no longer does," she said of the former Florida governor's stance on creating such a pathway.
Responding to Clinton's comments, Bush spokesperson Emily Benavides said that Hillary Clinton "has once again changed her position on an issue for politically expedient purposes."
"After voting for the poison pill amendment that stopped immigration reform in its tracks as a Senator and saying she believed the unaccompanied minors 'should be sent back' to their home countries last year, she is now running further to the left on immigration policy than even President Obama's White House believes is legally feasible," Benavides said, adding that Bush supports "earned legal status" for undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements.
During the interview, the 2016 Democratic frontrunner emphasized that she is "100% behind comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship."
"I think that we know we're not going to deport 11 or 12 million people," she added. "We shouldn't be breaking up families. We shouldn't be stopping people from having the opportunity to be fully integrated legally within our country."
The interview was Clinton's first sit-down with a national television network since declaring her candidacy. More of the interview is slated to air this afternoon on CNN.
