Candidates Answer Questions from Kid Reporters

Kid Reporter Kaitlin Clark with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail in New Hampshire

Scholastic News Kid Reporters have been on the campaign trail for more than a year. They have covered debates, town hall meetings, and campaign rallies. They’ve even managed to get up close to some candidates to ask them questions! Here are answers that Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump gave to our young reporters.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

 

Democrat Hillary Clinton

Kid Reporter Kaitlin Clark asked Clinton a question after a campaign rally at Rundlett Middle School in Concord, New Hampshire, on February 6.

Q. What is the most pressing issue facing the U.S.?

 A. The most pressing issue is to get the economy to produce more good jobs for more people so that they can support themselves and their children. Then their children can do even better, because that’s what supposed to happen in America. So I’m going to work really, really hard on that every single day.

Kid Reporter Gracie Wood with Republican candidate Donald Trump during his campaign stop in South Carolina  

Republican Donald Trump

Kid Reporter Gracie Wood asked Trump a question at a TV news station in Spartanburg, South Carolina on February 18, 2016.

Q. What should kids be paying attention to the most in this election?

A. Education is so important. You have to find the political candidate who really wants to take care of education. And you should have local education [rather than standards like Common Core], so that great people like your mother can be involved.

Q. Presidential campaigns and candidates can be very vicious with each other. How do you explain to kids that [such behavior] is OK? 

A. It’s not really OK, but it’s something you have to live with. It’s called life. As you grow older, you’ll understand it. The campaigns can be very vicious, just like life can be very vicious. But you have to figure it out and overcome it.

Five days earlier, Kid Reporter Gabriel Ferris called out a question to Trump after a Republican presidential debate in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Q. Why should young voters vote for you, Mr. Trump?

A. Because your future is much better with me than with anybody else.