RNC Chair Priebus: ‘I’d Rather Run Against Hillary Clinton,’ ‘Hillary Clinton Is in the Ditch’

Friday on CNN’s “Wolf,” Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was asked who he would rather face, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton or her opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in this fall’s general election, regardless of who the Republican nominee is.

According to Priebus, Clinton would be a more favorable opponent for Republicans because of how Priebus argued she is viewed by the public and the potential problems she faces legally.

Partial transcript as follows:

BLITZER: Who do you worry about more, facing the Republican nominee, whoever the nominee might turn out to be? Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders?

PRIEBUS: I’m much more comfortable and I think everyone that has analyzed this knows that Hillary Clinton is in the ditch. We don’t know how far in the ditch she’s going to go but she’s not doing well. She’s not even winning. You know, she has lost seven out of eight contests, I believe, maybe eight out of nine. She’s not winning. She is not popular.

BLITZER: She has —

PRIEBUS: Unfortunately for her she’s not likable.

BLITZER: She has almost 2.5 million more votes right now in all of the contests over Bernie Sanders. She has a million more votes than Donald Trump has and Donald Trump has a lot more, almost 2 million more than Ted Cruz. So on the popular vote more than 30 contests so far she’s doing pretty well.

PRIEBUS: But, you asked me who would be better to run against. I’m telling you I’d rather run against Hillary Clinton because she’s defined. She’s not liked and in a popular cultural vote in America, that’s an important question. She doesn’t do well on that question. And I don’t know what will happen with the FBI. So, put her unpopularity together with another unknown that could be even harder for her I’d rather run against Hillary Clinton. I’m just answering your question.

BLITZER: All right. That’s interesting that you fear Bernie Sanders more than Hillary Clinton. That’s the bottom line, right?

PRIEBUS: I don’t really fear either of them. I don’t fear either of them. I think after eight years of Obama, I think this is our year. We have to work hard. I know that. And we have work to do but we will do that work so we can win.

BLITZER: Interesting, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, thank you very much.

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