Donald Trump said the inspector general’s report Wednesday finding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke department policy with her secret email server is “not good” for her presidential hopes.
Rallying with supporters in Anaheim, California, Mr. Trump also paraded a group of women on stage, saying they’re evidence that he will do well among female voters in November.
“I’m telling you, women do like me,” he said.
Mr. Trump was speaking a day after his appearance in New Mexico spawned violent protests and clashes with police trying to keep order outside of his appearance.
It was also just hours after the State Department inspector general sent a report to Congress reviewing Mrs. Clinton’s email practices during her four years as secretary.
“The inspector general’s report, not good,” Mr. Trump said.
SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton failed to report several hacking attempts: IG
The report concluded that Mrs. Clinton didn’t get approval for her decision to use her own email server, broke department policy by not storing the messages properly, broke policy by failing to report hacking attempts, and repeatedly rejected suggestions that she switch to an official state.gov account and use a department-issued Blackberry device.
Mrs. Clinton’s campaign has pointed to the report’s finding that former Secretary of State Colin Powell also used a personal email — though not his own secret server — to conduct some business. Clinton aides said that was proof her behavior wasn’t unique.
But the inspector general said email vulnerabilities were less understood during Mr. Powell’s time in office in the early part of the last decade, but the department had a much better handle on the issue by 2009, when Mrs. Clinton took office.
“By Secretary Clinton’s tenure, the Department’s guidance was considerably more detailed and more sophisticated. Beginning in late 2005 and continuing through 2011, the Department revised the FAM and issued various memoranda specifically discussing the obligation to use Department systems in most circumstances and identifying the risks of not doing so. Secretary Clinton’s cybersecurity practices accordingly must be evaluated in light of these more comprehensive directives,” the inspector general said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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