Hillary Clinton says Benghazi was a tragedy 'politicized' by opponents


A question on Benghazi from moderator Jorge Ramos during the Univision Democratic debate was met with lengthy boos by the audience.
Ramos played a clip from Fox News showing the mother of a person killed in the attack saying Clinton "knew" the incident was not caused by an anti-Muslim video as previously stated, and asked Clinton if she lied to the families. Clinton said she has a "great deal of sympathy" for the loved ones of the "four brave Americans we lost in Benghazi," and she "can't even imagine the grief she has for losing her son, but she's wrong. She's absolutely wrong."
After the attack, Clinton said "everyone in the administration" was "scrambling to get information that was changing literally by the hour. When we had information, we made it public, but sometimes we had to go back and say we had new information to contradict it." Clinton brought up her 11-hour testimony in front of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, and "anybody who watched that and listened to it knows that I answered every question that I was asked. When it was over, the Republicans had to admit they didn't learn anything. Why? Because there had already been one independent investigation, seven or eight congressional investigations, mostly led by Republicans, who all reached the same conclusion: There were lessons to be learned."
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.
Clinton pointed out that Benghazi wasn't the first time Americans were killed in a terrorist attack, with thousands dying on Sept. 11, 2001, and hundreds lost in the Beirut attack under President Reagan and the embassy attacks in Tanzania and Kenya under President Clinton. "In no other time during those tragedies were they politicized," Clinton said. "Instead, people said, 'Let's learn the lesson and save lives.' That's what I did."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats