Hillary Clinton suggested on a recent podcast that President Trump was updating Vladimir Putin during the January 6th Capitol Hill riots as they unfolded.
Clinton made the suggestion with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as her guest.
If that incendiary charge had any basis in reality, Clinton must spit it out. Right now.
We need to know.
Of course, the Democratic standard bearer of 2016 provided no evidence. If Clinton believes this, she should give us evidence.
Since she did not, we are left to the conclusion that Mrs. Clinton was spreading an unverified conspiracy theory, as the Speaker of the House clucked sympathetically.
Clinton did say she would “love to see” President Trump’s phone records, but this is innuendo, the opposite of evidence.
On the Clinton podcast, Mrs. Pelosi also reiterated her statement that “with Trump, all roads lead to Putin.”
Clinton elaborated:
‘We learned a lot about our system of government over the last four years with a president who disdains democracy and, as you have said numerous times, has other agendas,’ Clinton said.
‘What they all are, I don’t think we yet know. I hope historically we will find out who he’s beholden to, who pulls his strings. I would love to see his phone records to see whether he was talking to Putin the day that the insurgents invaded our Capitol.
‘But we now know that not just him, but his enablers, his accomplices, his cult members, have the same disregard for democracy.’
The Mueller Report, which, it is largely agreed, was triggered by the Steele Dossier, alleging that the Russians had incriminating evidence on Trump, came up empty. It could verify no collusion between Trump associates and Russian actors. But the report’s results did not make a dint in the Democrats’ talking points.
Clinton called for an investigation of the riots. I think most Americans, conservative or liberal, want there to be an investigation. The riots were a disgrace and we need to know as much as we can about them.
What we do not need is a former presidential candidate spreading a conspiracy theory as the Speaker of the House responds approvingly.
I support Mrs. Clinton’s right to say these things, though a little restraint (or evidence) would not come amiss.
Whatever our political affiliations, all decent Americans want the inauguration to come off safely and without a hitch.
Mrs. Clinton’s spouting conspiracy theories and weaponized innuendo does not contribute to that hope.