Marco Rubio described Hillary Clinton’s private email use while secretary of state as “reckless and irresponsible” in light of cybersecurity and other threats.
In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Wednesday, Rubio argued that Clinton was either “unaware or didn’t care” about the threat from foreign intelligence services, specifically the Chinese and the Russians while serving as secretary of state.
“From the very first day this came out, I said here’s the biggest danger, and that is if she received information that was classified and/or sensitive — you know, it doesn’t have to be classified to be important. The Chinese, the Russians and others, they’re not just looking for classified information,” Rubio said. “They’re looking for sensitive information — things that give them insight into our thinking and into our strategy.”
“There was no way you have all those emails going back and forth between her and her top deputies and it doesn’t include sensitive information — not to mention information that’s been classified,” Rubio told Hewitt. “So it’s just really reckless and irresponsible.”
Clinton’s attorneys said they turned over the email server and thumb drives containing thousands of emails Tuesday evening.
While Rubio kept up his criticism of Clinton’s email practices, he was not willing to equate her actions with the server to former Gen. David Petraeus pleading guilty to one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information in March. The 2016 GOP candidate said the facts need to come out first before any conclusions are drawn.
“I think what we know for sure already is that she was using a private server that was not protected, and she used it to traffic in classified and, no doubt, sensitive information, and it’s just an irresponsible way to act,” Rubio said. “It really is. For someone that was running on the notion that she’s experienced and competent, this is really incompetent.”
“The former acting director of the CIA Mike Morell told me on this show, confirmed that the Russians and the Chinese and maybe the Iranians and others probably had real time access to her server. Have you heard that?” Hewitt asked the 2016 hopeful. “Do you agree with that assessment?”
“Well I haven’t heard that. I think you assume it,” Rubio said. “Look, the Chinese and the Russians spend a tremendous amount of time — they hack into the computers of political campaigns. They’re obviously looking at the emails. I think anyone who’s in a high-profile position at the federal government or, for that matter, involved in the daily debates in our society and has influence over decisions should assume that anything that they’re talking about on email is being looked at by foreign intelligence agencies. You saw John Kerry say as much the other day.”
“Yes, but it appears Mrs. Clinton was unaware of that threat,” Hewitt told Rubio.
“Well, either unaware or didn’t care after a while,” Rubio said. “Again, it goes back to the competence issue. It really is a reckless, incompetent way to behave and really calls into question her credibility.”
