According to ABC’s Cecilia Vega, Hillary Clinton was “one of the biggest winners” at the Republican debate. Despite not being a member of the GOP or on stage, the Good Morning America reporter on Thursday cheered the Democrat: “I think, is actually one of the biggest winners last night. The more they [Republicans] duke it out, the more internal fighting there is, she stays above the fray.”
Vega enthused, “Come that general election, that is really going to help her.” Regarding Clinton tweeting a clip from her Benghazi hearings, the journalist hyped, “A lot of her supporters thought that was really funny and that was the big zing from Hillary Clinton last night.”
The best Vega could do is to allow that Marco Rubio “didn’t think that was so funny.” Even George Stephanopoulos, no conservative, wondered if Clinton will "regret" using the Benghazi footage.
Vega chided those actually at the debate: “The Republicans had the chance to go after each other in many opportunities. Instead they turned the tables and went right after her.”
As ABC's official “Clinton correspondent” for the 2016, Vega has developed a history of praising the Democrat. On April 14, 2015, she touted Clinton’s “stealthy” “mystery” tour. Many of Vega's sentences started this way: "We're told..." "A campaign aide revealing..." "Her campaign says..."
The same day, Vega also insisted Clinton is working to win voters “one handshake, one chai at a time.”
A transcript of the October 29 segment, which aired at 7:11am ET, follows:
ROBIN ROBERTS: And the one person who was mentioned a great deal last night but wasn't even on that stage was Hillary Clinton. ABC's Cecilia Vega is covering her campaign. And Cecilia, what does last night mean to her.
CECILIA VEGA: Right after the media, Hillary Clinton was the second most targeted person on that stage, I would say. You know, the Republicans had the chance to go after each other in many opportunities. Instead, they turned the tables and went right after her. But, you know, she, I think, is actually one of the biggest winners last night. The more they duke it out, the more internal fighting there is, she stays above the fray. And come that general election, that is really going to help her.
ROBERTS: But she was really weighing in last night. Even though she wasn't there.
VEGA: She was having a good time. I think she was actually liking it. She was live texting her supporters throughout this debate. She was live tweeting. One of the tweets that she retweeted, she said she was LOLing about this debate. And George mentioned that clip of Hillary Clinton brushing off her shoulders, You Marco Rubio didn't think that was so funny.
ROBERTS: That's true.
VEGA: A lot of her supporters thought that was really funny and that was the big zing from Hillary Clinton last night.
ROBERTS: All right, Cecilia. Thank you.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We'll see if she regrets using that hearing or not, coming under fire from Marco Rubio.
