Hillary Clinton Delivers First Periscope and Campaign Rally Speech (Video)

Kick-off event at New York’s Roosevelt Island saw candidate address her critics, issues platform

Hillary Clinton held her first presidential campaign rally on Saturday, packing in crowds on New York’s Roosevelt Island to deliver a speech of broad strokes about her policy plans, and show some tech innovation to boot.

The Clinton campaign streamed the kick-off event live on Periscope, becoming the first presidential candidate to use use the app for such an event. The broadcast was hosted by Olympian Michelle Kwan.

“I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States,” said former Secretary of State Clinton to applause, while husband Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea looked on.

“You won’t see my hair turn white in the White House. I’ve been coloring it for years,” she joked.

Clinton’s speech frequently referenced her late mother, Dorothy Howell Rodham, saying her ambitions for Americans were shaped largely through her maternal advice.

Clinton discussed healthcare, the right to paid sick leave, women’s reproductive choice and gender disparity during her talk.

“[It’s time to] end the outrage of women earning less than men on the job — and women of color often making even less,” Clinton said. “This isn’t a women’s issue, it’s a family issue. Just like raising the minimum wage is a family issue. Expanding child care is a family issue.”

Clinton’s comment about her age wasn’t the only criticism she acknowledged. “Lord knows I’ve made mistakes,” she told the crowd, “and there is no shortage of people pointing them out.” She returned the favor to Republicans with some word play.

“Now there may be some new voices in the presidential Republican choir, but they’re all singing the same old song: A song called ‘Yesterday,’” said Clinton. “You know the one. All our troubles look as though they’re here to stay, and we need a place to hide away. They believe in yesterday.”

Interest in the event was high, with 550 journalists requesting to cover the event according to CNN.

“This will be a new moment. We have had the spring training, now it is opening day,” campaign chairman John Podesta told the network. “I think, for us, this is an opportunity to lay out really the operating manual for where she wants to take the country.”

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