Leaked Emails Show Advisers Worried About Clinton’s Refusal to Apologize for Server Scandal
It seems that just a little bit over a year ago, Hillary Clinton‘s campaign was feeling nervous about how long the former Secretary of State went before saying she’s sorry for her use of a private email server.
Wikileaks published an email chain on Thursday, which dated back to September 2015 and involved emails from her campaign chairman, John Podesta. As the thread shows, several of Clinton’s top aides were frustrated that she was was doing more to explain the situation away instead of expressing remorse for her transgression.
“Everyone wants her to apologize. And she should,” adviser Neera Tanden said. “Apologies are like her Achilles’ heel.”
Throughout her campaign, Clinton has been criticized for violating government policy by using a private server while she headed the State Department. Whenever she’s asked to discuss the controversy, Clinton has a habit of saying that she already admitted that it was a bad move, and that she wouldn’t have done it in hindsight.
As Clinton’s critics hounded her and said her explanation was inadequate, Tanden asked Podesta and communications director Jennifer Palmieri if there was any real downside in Clinton just coming out with an actual apology.
“[Clinton] always sees herself bending to ‘their’ will when she hands over information, etc. But the way she has to bend here is in the remorse. Not the ‘if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t do it.’ A real feeling of – this decision I made created a mess and I’m sorry I did that.”
After Tanden said that Clinton would mitigate the controversy by giving an apology, Podesta told her he agreed and that the campaign was working on setting up an opportunity for Clinton to do it. Clinton ended up giving her apology on September 8, when she said “I should have used two accounts. That was a mistake. I’m sorry about that. I take responsibility.”
[Image via screengrab]
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