Discussing the latest sexting scandal for Anthony Weiner on Tuesday’s NBC Today, correspondent Andrea Mitchell commented on top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin separating from the disgraced ex-congressman: “...despite their long-troubled marriage and that friends say that this was coming for a long time....they were trying to continue with this facade of a marriage....it worked for them for now. They were hoping to at least get through the campaign, through the election. But then it became untenable.”
Moments later, Mitchell was forced to acknowledge the obvious comparison to the Clinton marriage and reluctantly made vague reference to Bill Clinton’s sex scandals: “This is a problem and it does resurrect all those old, you know, conversations that some voters might be having – especially swing voters, the those moms in suburbia – about Hillary Clinton’s own choices 20 years ago, 19 years ago.”
Mitchell never explained those “old conversations” in detail or the “choices” Hillary Clinton made to stay with the former president despite his numerous affairs.
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At one point in the exchange, Mitchell seemed to blame Abedin for Clinton avoiding the press:
Look, she [Abedin] is the most powerful figure – political figure and personal figure – in Hillary Clinton's circle. And there are people who fear her. There are people who respect and adore her, the inner circle certainly. But there are also criticisms that this has led to Hillary Clinton not getting other insights, being too insular, not having press on the plane, not having press conferences – although they say they have a lot of interviews, those are much more controlled situations. And the fact that she needs to expand her circle.
Here is a full transcript of the August 30 segment:
7:05 AM ET
MATT LAUER: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell joins us now with more on the fallout. Andrea, how did this play out behind the scenes?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Fallout From Abedin-Weiner Split; Clinton’s Top Aide Leaves Husband Amid Scandal]
ANDREA MITCHELL: Well, behind the scenes, what really changed everything – despite their long-troubled marriage and that friends say that this was coming for a long time – but what really changed everything of course was the picture of the child in this latest episode. For the child to be included in an inappropriate message on Twitter, online to this woman really broke it. And yes, he was in the Hamptons and they were trying to continue with this facade of a marriage. There was deep love for the child and she really was devoted to Anthony up until, I think, the second episode, and of course that documentary, which was so devastating. And the fact that he was taking care of their toddler while she was out on the campaign trail, it worked for them for now. They were hoping to at least get through the campaign, through the election. But then it became untenable.
LAUER: Well, you talk about it, it’s a deeply personal situation. It's a family situation. But she is also a top aide to Hillary Clinton. Is there a political fallout that we can expect from this as well?
MITCHELL: Of course there is. And there are so many tensions involved. Look, she is the most powerful figure – political figure and personal figure – in Hillary Clinton's circle. And there are people who fear her. There are people who respect and adore her, the inner circle certainly. But there are also criticisms that this has led to Hillary Clinton not getting other insights, being too insular, not having press on the plane, not having press conferences – although they say they have a lot of interviews, those are much more controlled situations. And the fact that she needs to expand her circle. And this coming just as they're preparing for those debates.
This is a problem and it does resurrect all those old, you know, conversations that some voters might be having – especially swing voters, the those moms in suburbia – about Hillary Clinton’s own choices 20 years ago, 19 years ago. So it is not a good situation. There's a lot of love and affection for Huma, there’s also a concern about the campaign.
LAUER: Alright, Andrea Mitchell. Andrea, thank you very much.
