Fox News tried to press Hillary Clinton on Benghazi, but instead of getting answers, the conservative news network fell flat on its face.
Whether it was Bret Baier or Greta Van Susteren asking the questions, Hillary Clinton looked at ease and like she was having fun batting away the conservative news network’s Benghazi, Bergdahl, and Iraq questions during the first half of the interview. At one point former Sec. Clinton suggested that Fox News viewers go to the State Department website and download the unclassified Benghazi report to get information themselves.
Video: Part one of Hillary Clinton on Fox News:
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On Benghazi, Clinton said, My own assessment careened from the video had something to do with it, the video had nothing to do with it — it may have affected some people, it didn’t affect other people. There’s no doubt terrorists were involved.”
Video: part two of the interview:
Bret Baier led off the second half of the Clinton Fox News interview with more Benghazi questions. He asked about the video that is so important to the right-wing Benghazi conspiracy, and Clinton quickly knocked it down. Fox tried to divide Clinton and Obama by asking if President Obama ever disappointed her, and she flatly answered no. She said she disagreed with her husband, Bush and Obama on some things, but she thought they each tried to do the best that they could. Clinton asked if she agreed with the majority of Americans who feel the country is on the wrong track. She said that she agreed that Americans feel that they have not recovered from the Great Recession.
Video: Part three of the interview:
Greta Van Susteren asked about NSA spying, and Mrs. Clinton said, “We are finally taking stock of the laws we passed after 9/11.” Clinton said that Angela Merkel should be upset that the NSA was spying on her. Clinton was asked about her refusal to attack Sarah Palin in 2008, and she said, “I do still believe that sexism is a problem.” Clinton said that there is still sexism in politics, journalism, and many other fields. She said that sexism should be called out. Van Susteren, who is Sarah Palin’s best friend, brought up the Trig birthers who claim that Palin’s son is not her’s. Clinton said that all of those sorts of attacks are disturbing.
Video: Part four of the interview:
Clinton was asked about the IRS and President Obama’s comment that this is a phony scandal. She responded by putting her own spin on it while calling out the partisanship behind the Republican fueled investigation, “There really wasn’t a lot of evidence that this was deliberate, but that’s why the investigation needs to continue. Clinton said maybe the right thing to say is investigate this in a non-partisan fair and balanced way.
The Fox News audience had to be disappointed as former Sec. Clinton tamed, charmed and owned Baier and Van Susteren. Mrs. Clinton put on a master class on how to dismantle Fox News while keeping your cool and winning with a smile. If the point of the Fox News interview was to get a Benghazi sound byte to bolster the Republican cause, it was a total bust.
Hillary Clinton sat down live on Fox News, and owned the conservative network. This kind of performance should give Republicans nightmares as they head into 2016. Clinton treated Fox News like a speed bump, and this alone should terrify the GOP.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
