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.
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
The world’s uncontacted peoples under threatThe Explainer Indigenous groups face ‘silent genocide’ from growing contact with miners, missionaries and influencers
-
Down Cemetery Road: Emma Thompson dazzles in the new Slow HorsesThe Week Recommends 'Top-notch’, twisty thriller based on Mick Herron’s debut novel
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?
Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
