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.
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.
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.
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro


