On Monday, Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign manager conceded that Clinton made a mistake by not firing a top aide accused of sexual harassment. The New York Times reported last Friday that during her 2008 run, Clinton refused to fire Burns Strider — the campaign's faith adviser — after he was accused of sexual harassment by another staffer. Shortly after the allegations against Strider became public, Clinton addressed the story on Twitter with a non-apology that was lambasted by people on both sides of the aisle.
Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton's campaign boss in 2008, appeared on CNN on Monday to talk about her former boss' decision. Doyle said she found the allegations against Strider "credible" and confirmed to CNN's Brianna Keilar that she was "overruled" by Clinton when she recommended Strider's firing. "Why doesn't [Clinton] just look back and say, 'This was the wrong call?'" Keilar asked. Doyle took in a sharp breath before saying, "You know, I don't know."
Doyle continued: "I wish she had said it was the wrong call. I wish she had said, 'You know, having to do it over, I should have fired him.'" Keilar pointed out that Strider later got an important job at the Clinton-affiliated super PAC Correct the Record — where he was fired after allegations of sexual harassment. Keilar asked if Clinton's reluctance to fire Strider "gave him a platform to then go on and harass other women." Doyle replied in the affirmative: "I feel a great deal of regret that I didn't ... push harder for him to be fired."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch the interview below. Kelly O'Meara Morales
-
5 hastily redrawn cartoons about redistrictingCartoons Artists take on Donald Trump's draughtsmanship, the White House ballroom, and more
-
Bonnie Blue: taking clickbait to extremesTalking Point Channel 4 claims documentary on the adult performer's attention-grabbing sex stunts is opening up a debate
-
Broccoli and lentil salad with curried tahini and dates recipeThe Week Recommends Flavoursome and healthy, this creamy salad is perfect as part of a mezze
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monumentsSpeed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seatspeed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring pushSpeed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additionsSpeed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein filesSpeed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oilSpeed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymanderSpeed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting voteSpeed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
