Failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, having spent much of 2017 in the spotlight relitigating the 2016 election, is reportedly mulling a role in the 2018 midterms — a move that is far from clear that it would help Democrats in swing states.
The Hill reports that, despite his low favorability numbers, Clinton confidants have spoken to Clinton in recent months about a 2018 role, and the former secretary of state is considering her options.
“She’s the human personification of what the split in the country is,” said one Clinton friend, according to the Hill. “And look, she understands what that means and what that means for her. She’s very attuned to what’s going on. She’s not confused about it. She has some people pulling on her to be involved and others who are saying, ‘maybe not.'”
An entrance from Clinton is a risky move for Democrats, not just due to her polarizing influence but also due to the lingering questions over her conduct as secretary of state. The 2010 Uranium Deal, which Clinton’s State Department approved and which sent 20 percent of U.S. uranium to a Russian energy giant, is being re-examined by the Justice Department after revelations about Russian bribery.
Meanwhile, revelations that top FBI investigator Peter Strzok — who headed up the probe into Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state — was demoted after he sent anti-Trump texts has raised questions about the impartiality and the conclusions of that probe.
Some experts told the Hill that a Clinton intervention may actually help the GOP, as it may be more beneficial for the party to focus on Clinton than Trump — who is also a divisive figure.
“She offers a political villain of sorts to help generate the kind of turnout that might otherwise be lacking,” Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told the Hill.
Nonetheless, sources tell the Hill she is “gearing up,” particularly with her political group “Onward Together.”
“I don’t see a scenario where she’s not doing anything publicly,” one Clinton ally told the Hill.
Adam Shaw is a Breitbart News politics reporter based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.