A reporter asked Hillary Clinton if she wiped her email server. Her reply: 'What, like with a cloth?'

(Image credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

published 19 August 2015

Apparently Hillary Clinton has no idea how computers work. Or at least, that's what she suggested Tuesday at a press conference in Las Vegas, where Fox News' Ed Henry dogged her with questions about her email scandal, in which Clinton used a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state. The issue is now being probed by the FBI, and government officials report that Team Clinton tried to wipe the server before handing it over to the feds.

"Did you wipe the server?" Henry demanded of Clinton Tuesday. Frustrated, Clinton finally replied, "What, like with a cloth or something?"

In case there was any confusion, Clinton explained, "Well, no. I don't know how it works digitally at all."

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As Talking Points Memo notes, Clinton wasn't quite done. As she walked away from the podium, another reporter shouted, "Is this an indication that this issue isn't going to go away?" Clinton quipped, "Nobody talks to me about it other than you guys."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.