Hillary Clinton campaign advisers celebrated after she did an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, saying she “didn’t seem like a bitch” and successfully answered questions about her private email server.
“She rocked it!!” Clinton adviser Neera Tanden wrote, on September 4, 2015, calling it good that people could see her answer questions directly about her email.
“I actually cried a little bit with relief,” Director of Communications Jennifer Palmieri replied.
Campaign chief John Podesta was pleased, but skeptical that the successful interviews would continue.
“She was good. Question is can we keep same mood, through 20 interviews,” he said.
He griped that the press was too focused on Clinton apologizing to the American people.
“No good deed goes unpunished,” he wrote. “Press takeaway was the whine of but ‘she really didn’t apologize to the American people.’”
Podesta wryly remarked that Donald Trump was perhaps correct about blasting the media.
“I am beginning to think Trump is on to something,” he said.
Tandon pointed out that apologies were good, even though it was difficult to get Clinton to do them successfully.
“Apologies are like her Achilles heel. But she didn’t seem like a bitch in the interview,” she replied. “And she said the word sorry. She will get to a full apology in a few interviews.”
The leaked email from Podesta’s email account was released by WikiLeaks on Thursday.