In a nearly 20-minute live interview with Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell spent a mere 17 seconds asking the Democratic frontrunner about the ongoing e-mail scandal.
Toward the end of the 19 minute 11 second exchange during the 12 p.m. ET hour, Mitchell raised the topic as an afterthought: “Now, I’ve got to just ask you whether since you last mentioned this to my colleague, Chuck Todd, in April, have you been contacted – or your representatives contacted – by the FBI to set up an interview?” Clinton offered a one-word reply: “No.” Mitchell pressed: “No contacts there?” Clinton maintained: “No.”
Mitchell followed up: “Any indication that your private server was hacked by foreign hackers?” Clinton declared: “No, not at all.”
That was the extent of the discussion about the former Secretary of State’s e-mails. Not one question pointing out Clinton’s numerous contradicting statements on the matter or raising the possibility of a criminal indictment before the November election.
Mitchell led off the sit-down by mentioning a contentious exchange Clinton had with a West Virginia coal miner on Monday: “Well, you were met here in West Virginia....met by protesters and you are met by a very angry unemployed, laid off coal worker, Bo Copley.” After playing a clip of Copley grilling Clinton, Mitchell hastened to add: “Now, I know you told him that what you had said in the past was misinterpreted, out of context. It’s not what you meant to say. You have a $30 billion plan to help these workers here.”
The reporter continued:
But when you look at the facts, one in five coal workers have lost their jobs since President Obama took office. Haven’t you and the President decided that you have to make a bet on the future of renewable and clean energies? And that is, to these people, writing off their aging coal industry and writing off their lives?
Copley’s confrontation with Clinton forced the broadcast networks to finally cover her anti-coal agenda on Tuesday.
Turning to campaign politics, Mitchell fretted whether Clinton was “prepared” to take on Donald Trump in a general election:
In our latest NBC News/SurveyMonkey online poll out just now, you are only leading Donald Trump nationally by six points, a very close race. What is going on?...are you prepared though? Because there are 16 Republicans who were running against him who learned what happens when you don't go and fight back. Yesterday, he very publicly had lunch with an author who’s written salacious books about you and your husband. He appears to be ready to dump a whole lot of stuff on you.
Minutes later, Mitchell teed up Clinton to attack the Republican frontrunner: “Is he unqualified to be commander in chief?”
Here is a transcript of Mitchell’s question to Clinton during the May 3 interview:
12:05 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: We are here in West Virginia, and it’s a critical moment in the presidential primary campaign, we’re speaking exclusively today with the Democratic frontrunner, former Secretary of State and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, joining me now. Welcome, Madam Secretary, thank you so much for being here with us.
HILLARY CLINTON: Thank you so much.
MITCHELL: Well, you were met here in West Virginia, a state that has supported you in the past and which your president won – your husband, the former president won twice. He was the last Democrat to win West Virginia in a presidential race. But here you are met by protesters and you are met by a very angry unemployed, laid off coal worker, Bo Copley. And here is part of what he had to say to you. Let’s watch.
BO COPLEY: The reason you hear those people out there saying some of the things that they say is because when you make comments like, “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs.” These are the kind of people that you’re effecting. This is my family, my hope is in God, that's my future. I want my family to know that they have a future here in this state because this is a great state.
MITCHELL: Now, I know you told him that what you had said in the past was misinterpreted, out of context. It’s not what you meant to say. You have a $30 billion plan to help these workers here. But when you look at the facts, one in five coal workers have lost their jobs since President Obama took office. Haven’t you and the President decided that you have to make a bet on the future of renewable and clean energies? And that is, to these people, writing off their aging coal industry and writing off their lives?
(...)
MITCHELL: What do you think of the sentencing of the head of one of these coal companies who’s been sentenced to, I think, a year?...Mr. Blankenship
(...)
MITCHELL: Now, Appalachia is a microcosm of what’s happening around this country. Your husband was even protested against, booed. This used to be Bill Clinton country, and now it’s Donald Trump country. In our latest NBC News/SurveyMonkey online poll out just now, you are only leading Donald Trump nationally by six points, a very close race. What is going on?
(...)
MITCHELL: But this is a change election, people are talking about wanting a change, they don’t want the establishment. You have to go against that grain. And Donald Trump is out saying that if you were a man, you would only have 5% of the support that you have, that you only have the support because you’re a woman. What do you think about that?
(...)
MITCHELL: Now, he already seized on something you said last week about how you have a lot of experience with men who go off the reservation, suggesting that you were talking about your husband.
CLINTON: Oh, that’s not true.
(...)
MITCHELL: Well, are you prepared though? Because there are 16 Republicans who were running against him who learned what happens when you don't go and fight back. Yesterday, he very publicly had lunch with an author who’s written salacious books about you and your husband. He appears to be ready to dump a whole lot of stuff on you.
(...)
MITCHELL: What about the attacks from Bernie Sanders? He has been increasingly aggressive in recent days. His wife Jane said last week that you think you’re the anointed one. And he says he’s going to have a contested convention and go after the super-delegates and try to convert them. What happened to acknowledging the reality, if that is the reality, after the last primary? It sounds as though he's going all the way to Philadelphia in July.
CLINTON: Well, look, he has every right to finish out this primary season. I couldn’t argue with that.
MITCHELL: What about his tone recently?
(...)
MITCHELL: Now, the President said in his speech Saturday night that if those jokes worked well, he was going to use that material once he's out of office with Goldman Sachs to make a lot of Tubmans. Which brings to mind, you know, the attack line from Bernie Sanders about the Goldman Sachs speech. What was in that speech that you wouldn’t want to reveal to the people who are voting for you?
CLINTON: Nothing. And you know, I –
MITCHELL: So why not just put it out there?
CLINTON: Well, because I know that others, including Mr. Trump, have made speeches. And look at where we are, I’ve put out 33 years of tax returns –
MITCHELL: So if he puts out his tax returns, would you put out your transcripts?
(...)
MITCHELL: Is he [Donald Trump] unqualified to be commander in chief?
(...)
MITCHELL: Now, I’ve got to just ask you whether since you last mentioned this to my colleague, Chuck Todd, in April, have you been contacted – or your representatives contacted – by the FBI to set up an interview?
CLINTON: No.
MITCHELL: No contacts there?
CLINTON: No.
MITCHELL: Any indication that your private server was hacked by foreign hackers?
CLINTON: No, not at all.
MITCHELL: And finally, I know today you had some emotional things to say about opiates and about your personal experience and you’re dealing with people here who are suffered so much.
CLINTON: Right.
MITCHELL: Some say that it’s because of joblessness and of despair. What has been your experience? Share with our audience.
(...)
MITCHELL: And Indiana today....Your chances in Indiana?
(...)
