WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (UPI) — President Barack Obama called Hillary Clinton‘s use of a private email server a “mistake,” but said national security was not compromised and suggested the issue has been politicized to damage her image.
Obama made the comments during an interview that aired on Sunday on CBS’ 60 Minutes. He said public officials in high office should know better.
“As a general proposition, when we’re in these offices, we have to be more sensitive and stay as far away from the line as possible when it comes to how we handle information, how we handle our own personal data,” Obama said, adding that Clinton “could have handled the original decision better.”
Clinton’s private email server “is not a situation in which America’s national security was endangered,” Obama said.
“She made a mistake. She has acknowledged it. I do think that the way it’s been ginned up is in part because of politics,” Obama said. “I think she’d be the first to acknowledge that maybe she could have handled the original decision better and the disclosures more quickly.”
Clinton continues to face increased scrutiny over all of her work-related emails when she served as secretary of state as she moves forward with her presidential campaign for the 2016 election. The Democratic front-runner has apologized for using her private server during her time on Obama’s Cabinet.
“The fact that for the last three months this is all that’s been spoken about is an indication that we’re in presidential political season,” Obama added.
