For the second time in as many days, Hillary Clinton conducted a press gaggle on Tuesday afternoon and while it was brief, Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein received the first question and made the Clinton team proud by lobbing softballs to Clinton about fears she’s “held to a different standard” than Donald Trump and if she’s worried that Republicans will be “continuing to dig into you” if she wins the election.
Unlike Monday’s question and answer, the top cable networks of CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC all carried it for the world to hear or at least what they could over the loud sounds of the airplane muddling many of their voices. After remarks hitting Trump for his refusal to release his tax returns, a Clinton staffer eagerly called on Epstein.
The first portion of Epstein’s question was loud and clear before her voice briefly tailed off and coming back but the gist was clear as she brought up the possibility that Clinton is held to a “different standard” (translation: higher) than Trump:
So, this was not going to be my question, but kind of taking off and backing off of that, do you think that you are held to a different standard than he is [INAUDIBLE] by the media and by voters cause it seems like a lot of voters don’t actually care. They’re just like — they know that he has done some shady things and they’re okay with that, but they are concerned about you[.]
The spin wasn’t done as the second portion brought up House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz’s request for “a judge to look into the deletion of some of your e-mails and has said he's going to do more hearings including one on FOIA on Thursday” and if this meant those dreaded Republicans won’t stop looking at the (scandal-ridden) Clintons: “Are you concerned they're continuing to dig into you and do you worry that if you win, they will keep doing that?”
Clinton immediately responded by telling Epstein that she asked “a very good question” and one so favorable that she felt like paraphrasing it for the rest of her adoring fans in the press assembled before her and lamented that such has been the case “going back 25 years and so, it's something that I’ve just accepted.”
<<< Please consider helping NewsBusters financially with your tax-deductible contribution today >>>
“I believe I have created so many jobs in the sort of conspiracy theory machine factory because honestly, they never quit. They keep coming back and here’s another one. It’s been debunked. If that’s how they want to spend their time instead of looking to address the problems of the American people that’s their choice. Oh, you know, I can't speak to what they want to do,” Clinton continued in providing a classic Clinton answer.
Later on, the video suddenly cut out on the pool feed but not before one question from an unidentified female reporter about the conflicts of interest from the possibility that Chelsea Clinton would remain involved on the Clinton Foundation’s board if Hillary won the election.
Needless to say, this didn’t please Hillary as she snapped leading up to the feed disappearing:
As I've said over and over again, doesn't matter how many times you ask me and how you've asked me, these issues will be decided after the election and we will decide the appropriate way forward. When I became secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation, a world renowned charity went above and beyond....
The relevant portion of the transcript from the press gaggle abroad Hillary Clinton’s campaign plane on September 6 can be found below.
BLOOMBERG’s JEN EPSTEIN: So, this was not going to be my question, but kind of taking off and backing off of that, do you think that you are held to a different standard than he is [INAUDIBLE] by the media and by voters cause it seems like a lot of voters don’t actually care. They’re just like — they know that he has done some shady things and they’re okay with that, but they are concerned about you and more broadly, Jason Chaffetz today asked a judge to look into the deletion of some of your e-mails and has said he's going to do more hearings including one on FOIA on Thursday. Are you concerned they're continuing to dig into you and do you worry that if you win, they will keep doing that?
HILLARY CLINTON: Jen, that's a very good question. Jen basically said is there a different standard for Trump than for me? And do I think that a lot of these issues that are raised about Trump are just missed because somehow the American public has factored into their assessment that, you know, that's the kind of guy he is, right? And a lot of this behavior coming from him seems to be expected somehow and that's fine if you're a reality TV star or you're a real estate developer, I don't think it is fine if you want to be president of the United States. And I can only say, look, this is not new to me. You can go back and look at a lot of what has been said about me by so many people, going back 25 years and so, it's something that I’ve just accepted....
.....It's just a person because, you know, FBI resolved all of this. Their report answered all the questions. The findings concluded, debunking his latest controversy theories. I believe I have created so many jobs in the sort of conspiracy theory machine factory because honestly, they never quit. They keep coming back and here’s another one. It’s been debunked. If that’s how they want to spend their time instead of looking to address the problems of the American people that’s their choice. Oh, you know, I can't speak to what they want to do...
(....)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: To follow up on the Chaffetz investigation though, he's asked for U.S. Attorney to look into whether you're aides deleted e-mails that had already been subpoenaed. Do you have any concerns that e-mails were deleted after they were already supposed to be preserved and did you ask for them to be deleted?
CLINTON: No, of course not. I have no concern on either account. None and neither did the FBI.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: Secretary Clinton, as you’re doing debate prep, are you preparing to go after Donald Trump's personal life and do you think his personal life is fair game and on a related note, is there a member of your staff or surrogate of yours that you think is well equipped to play the role of Donald Trump in the mock debate?
(.....)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #3: Going back to issues that might pertain to kind of plague you — going back to Jen's question earlier about issues that may continue to — may carry over to possible administration, if Chelsea Clinton does stay on the foundation's board, which the foundation has said definitively that she will or that's the plan currently, do you believe that could raise conflict questions and does that mean that you hold —
CLINTON: No. As I've said over and over again, doesn't matter how many times you ask me and how you've asked me, these issues will be decided after the election and we will decide the appropriate way forward. When I became secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation, a world renowned charity went above an beyond — [VIDEO CUTS OUT]
