The mainstream media is callingit a "bombshell" and a potential "game changer" after the State Department announced that 22 emails that were sent during Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State included "top secret" information. Republicans jumped on the chance to throw mud on the Clinton campaign wall, hoping this time something will stick. As ABC News reported on Jan. 29, none of the emails were marked top secretat the time they were sent.
Inside the server
After it was announced that Clinton was using a separate server to send and receive classified government information, many on the political right used it to smear her name with the 2016 election less than a year away.
Over 13,000 emails have since been labeled classified, but the new batch of 22 is the first time the government has listed the information as top secret, the highest level of classification by the government.
Despite the news, State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the emails, which totaled 37 separate pages, were not labeled classified when Clinton originally sent them. The emails were upgraded after the Intelligence Community foundthat they contained sensitive information. "It's certainly possible that for any number of reasons, traffic can be sent that's not marked appropriately for its classification," Kirby said. "All I can tell you definitively is it wasn't marked classified at the time it was sent."
Clinton camp responds
In an interview with CNN after the story broke, Clinton brushed off the controversy, stating "The facts have remained the same.
There was never any information sent or received that was marked classified." With the Iowa caucus less than a week away, Clinton holds a slim lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders and it's unknown how much, or if the email issue will impactthe primary.
The new e-mail release is a disaster for Hillary Clinton. At a minimum, how can someone with such bad judgement be our next president?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2016Republicans fire back
As the news broke, GOP presidential candidates jumped on the story as quickly as possible.
Front runner Donald Trump called it a "disaster," while Florida Sen Marco Rubio called the issue "unacceptable" and a "disqualifier."Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus also chimed in, saying it "removed all doubt that she cannot be trusted with the presidency."
