Hillary Clinton makes fun of herself (and us) on the ‘Murphy Brown’ premiere

Hillary Clinton made a not-so-subtle cameo on the Thursday night premiere of CBS’ “Murphy Brown” revival. Instead of playing herself, the former secretary of state opted to play a doppelganger named Hilary Clendon – that’s Hilary with one L.

In the episode, Clinton walks into the newsroom of “Murphy in the Morning,” the new show that has brought Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) out of retirement, and announces she is there to interview for a secretary position. Clinton says she knows the role would be demanding. “Your reputation precedes you,” she tells the host. The joke here is on Murphy, who was notorious for her rotating cast of secretaries.

But Clinton quickly moves to poking fun at herself, as her character tells Murphy that she’s “qualified and ready on day one.” When the journalist asks about her experience, Clinton, er, Clendon, replies that “for four years, I was the secretary – I was the secretary of a very large organization.”

Murphy asks if she has the requisite computer and email skills. “Emails, I do have some experience with emails,” Clendon answers cheekily.

Murphy ultimately concludes that Clendon is overqualified for the role, but takes her business card anyway. As Clendon makes her way to the elevator, Murphy reads the email address on the card. It’s hilary@youcouldahadme.com.

“Murphy Brown,” which returned to CBS 20 years after the sitcom ended its initial 10-season run, has veered into politics before. The show, including its lead star and its creator, Diane English, famously sparred with Dan Quayle in 1992 after the then-vice president lamented the show’s choice to have the unmarried Murphy give birth to a baby boy, whom she intended to raise on her own.

And as The Washington Post’s Lisa Bonos reported earlier this month, the reboot is gearing up for another potential political feud – this time, with President Donald Trump.