CLINTON ON LATEST EMAIL REVELATIONS: ‘ THERE IS NO CASE’.
Democrat tries to put focus back on Trump
KENT, OHIO• Hillary Clinton sought Monday to redirect the focus of the presidential race to national security and Donald Trump’ s fitness for office after days of damaging uncertainty over a renewed investigation into her email use when she was secretary of state.
The Democratic nominee addressed the email issue at the start of a speech about national security that marked a departure from her standard stump speech, as Democrats are reeling from news that FBI director James Comey is revisiting his probe into the potential mishandling of classified material.
“I’m sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about, and why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of wrongdoing,” less than two weeks before election day, Clinton said. “That’s a good question.”
“I understand. And as I’ve said, I’m not making any excuses,” for setting up her private email system as she did, Clinton said. “I’ve said it was a mistake and I regret it.”
She predicted that the new inquiry will reach the same conclusion as Comey did at the end of the FBI investigation in July, when he announced that despite what he called sloppiness, there was no evidence of criminal conduct.
“There is no case,” Clinton said, adding that she thinks most Americans have long since decided how they feel about the email issue.
“Now, what people are focused on is choosing the next president and commander in chief of t he United States of America,” she added.
Campaigning earlier Monday in Grand Rapids, Mich., Trump said Comey “brought back his reputation” with his notice to Congress on Friday that he would look at new information in the case.
“It took a lot of guts” for Comey to change course three months after ending the probe into whether classified information was compromised, the Republican nominee said.
“I really disagreed with him,” over that earlier decision, Trump said. “I was not his fan. But what he did brought back his reputation.”
During her lengthy speech at Kent State University, Clinton returned to an argument that has been among her most potent: that Trump’s “very thin skin” and brash, illinformed commentary on world affairs disqualifies him as commander in chief.
She asked the audience to consider three questions she said were among the most crucial in assessing a leader: Can the candidate be trusted to command the American nuclear arsenal? How does the candidate handle a crisis? and “Do you know the difference be- tween our allies and our adversaries?”
“I’m running against a man who says he doesn’t understand why we can’t use nuclear weapons. He wants more countries to have nuclear weapons,” Clinton said.
“And if you’re t ell i ng yourself he’s going to surround himself with smart people to stop these crazy ideas, remember this: He was asked who he consults on foreign policy. Donald Trump said he doesn’t need to consult because, and I quote, ‘ I have a very good brain.’ ”
Turning to Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin, Clinton said the Russian president is playing Trump for a patsy. “He knows he can use flattery to get into Donald’s head, to make Donald the Kremlin’s puppet, and it seems to be working. Donald has signalled to Putin that he will let Russia do whatever it wants,” she said.
Comey reignited a political firestorm when he said FBI officials had detected a batch of emails pertinent to the earlier case during an “unrelated” investigation.
People close to the situation have told The Washington Post that the emails were found on a computer belonging to disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, who is under investigation f or allegedly ex changing lewd messages with a 15- year-old girl. Weiner is the estranged husband of Clinton campaign vice-chair Huma Abedin.
Abedin, who is very often the aide closest to Clinton’s side on trips, has been absent from the campaign plane since Friday, the day the Comey news broke.
Clinton’ s campaign pushed back hard all weekend against Comey’s decision.
Democrats demanded swift answers about what Comey is looking for and why he chose to renew the inquiry less than two weeks before election day.
The Justice Department is telling Congress it will dedicate whatever resources are needed to quickly review emails that may be relevant.
In a letter Monday, the department said it would work closely with the FBI and “take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible.”
Claiming momentum from the FBI news, Trump said Clinton has only herself to blame.
“Hillary is the one who sent and received classified information on an insecure server, putting the safety of the American people under threat,” Trump said.
“Hillary is the one who lied to Congress under oath. Hillary is the one who lied on so many different occasions to the FBI.”
I’M NOT MAKING ANY EXCUSES. I’VE SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE AND I REGRET IT.