Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton told Mississippi voters Thursday that if his wife is elected president, she will work to reduce the cost of a college education by letting people refinance student loans.
He also said the U.S. has too many nonviolent offenders locked up, and Hillary Clinton will try to cut those numbers and provide federal money to help people with education and job training as they leave prison.
Bill Clinton made two appearances Thursday in Jackson, five days before the presidential primary in Mississippi.
He shook hands at a crowded coffee house in the Fondren neighborhood and then spoke to about 800 people in the student center at Jackson State University.
Though he didn't name any other presidential candidate, Bill Clinton clearly took aim at remarks that Republican Donald Trump has made about Muslims. In December, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."
"Hillary believes it is a massive security mistake of colossal proportions to demonize every Muslim in America," Bill Clinton said. "Most of them love this country. Most of them are peace-loving and most of them hate terror."
The former president praised his wife's record, from her time working to improve preschools when he was governor of Arkansas starting in the late 1970s to her experience in the U.S. Senate and as secretary of state.
"If you're in the South, you know we have to find some way to work across party lines," Bill Clinton said. "If you want to grow together and you want us to live together, we have got to govern together."
Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, Martin O'Malley and Willie Wilson are on the Democratic primary ballot in Mississippi.
____
Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus .
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
