FBI report adds sharp edge to Trump’s barbs
Donald Trump’s “crooked Hillary” barbs gained a sharper edge from the FBI’s scathing appraisal of Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information — but that’s unlikely to change anyone’s mind in the sharply divided presidential race, political watchers say.
Trump wasted no time renewing his attacks on his Democratic rival yesterday. He took to Twitter after the FBI’s press conference, proclaiming: “FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #RiggedSystem.”
During a speech at the Duke Energy Center in Raleigh, N.C., last night, he repeated the line, “We have a rigged system.” Later in his speech, he called Clinton, “weak and ineffective.”
“Her judgment is horrible,” he said to a cheering crowd. “Look at her judgment on emails.”
FBI Director James B. Comey announced yesterday that the bureau will not recommend criminal charges against Clinton for using her personal email to exchange sensitive information, but slammed the former secretary of state for her “extremely careless” handling of classified information.
That has bolstered Trump’s line of attack, observers said.
“It’s another magazine in the ammunition he can use,” said Fred Bayles, a Boston University professor and campaign expert. “The question is, does that change votes?”
But Clinton is already seen as untrustworthy by her critics, and this will give Trump a new talking point, said Rob Gray, a Boston-based Republican consultant.
“For someone running on competence and steadiness, it’s a grave condemnation to be called ‘extremely careless’ by the FBI,” Gray said. “I think Trump will make every effort to not let voters forget it.”
Gray said all Clinton can do is try to deflect Trump’s attacks.
“The best she can do is try to change the subject a bit, but that’s going to be extremely difficult to do,” Gray said. “She’s been calling him cavalier and careless on national security, and now she finds herself with the exact same problem.”
Ryan Enos, an assistant professor of government at Harvard University, said, “A lot of people already think she has honesty problems. There are already a lot of pre-formed opinions.”
But Enos noted that Comey’s comments come at a critical time in the race, when more people are tuning in to campaign developments.
“It’s hard to know what Trump can say now that could solidify people’s opinions,” Enos said. “But it’s perhaps meaningful that this came out at this point in the campaign, when people are starting to pay a little more attention.”