Bill Clinton: Donald Trump's 'Make America great again' slogan means 'more than it sounds'

Suzette Gutierrez Cachila Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Former president Bill Clinton delivered a speech on Sunday, June 5, at 24,000-member strong megachurch in California, and said that a popular slogan being used by a presidential candidate has a lot more meaning behind it.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaks during a session on sustainable oceans during the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in New York, September 28, 2015. | Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Campaigning for his wife Hillary ahead of the California primary, Clinton addressed the congregation at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ and said the slogan "Make American great again" means "way more than it sounds like."

"It means 'hey, put me in there and I will make the economy the way it was for you 40 or 50 years ago.' In other words, America wasn't so great 40 or 50 years ago. Including the parents of a lot of the people in this great congregation," he said without naming GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, Christian Post reported.

"The second problem with that is, they can't do it. I see all these attractive young people and I think, 'boy I'd like to be 20 again.' Just to see what's gonna happen. But it ain't gonna happen."

He urged the people to consider if they would choose to go back to a past that "can't be achieved" or to create a new future where diversity is celebrated and prosperity is shared. In the latter setting, he said, people will build together "a whole new chapter of greatness."

He said America's founding fathers created a system that, although flexible, must help maintain the protection of the people's freedom. He said one way to do this is to etablish wider avenues for opportunity, strengthen community bonds and "deepen the meaning of freedom."

Clinton also criticized Trump's idea to build a wall separating U.S. and Mexico to strengthen the campaign against illegal immigrants.

Clinton campaigned for his wife, saying she is the right person who can lead the country. He urged the people to vote in November, keeping in mind that the country can rise together and bring back the sense of a better future.

Clinton spoke before the congregation before they celebrated communion. Bishop Charles E. Blake, who presided over the church, shared a video of Clinton's speech in his Facebook page.

Blake's son, Charles Blake Jr., said Clinton was not invited to speak before the congregation, denying reports that Clinton's presence at the church was a form of endorsement for Clinton's wife Hillary, who is a known supporter of same-sex marriage and abortion.