Benghazi isn't sinking Hillary Clinton's presumed presidential campaign
Patrick Smith / Getty Images


For nearly two years, Republicans have sought to fault Hillary Clinton for the Benghazi embassy attack and taint her presumed presidential campaign before it even begins. Yet that effort appears to have had little to no impact on the former secretary of state's reputation so far, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
In the survey, half of Americans say they disapprove of how Clinton handled the attack. But at the same time, six in ten still approve of her entire tenure in the Obama administration; 67 percent say she's a "strong leader," while robust majorities believe she has fresh ideas for the nation's future and that she understands the problems facing average folks. And Clinton continues to dominate not only a hypothetical Democratic primary field, but to post solid leads over every potential GOP challenger thrown her way, too.
In other words, Benghazi hasn't soured the public on the idea of a Clinton presidency. It may have rubbed off some of Clinton's erstwhile sheen — her poll numbers are down slightly from their astounding highs of a few years ago — but it has not proven to be the game-changer Republicans had hoped it would be.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Trump may team with a tech company to create a database of Americans
In the Spotlight A recent report indicated that Trump is partnering with the tech company Palantir
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strike
speed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Trump hits Africa, Middle East with new travel ban
Speed Read The travel ban bars visitors from 12 countries and restricts entry from seven
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge