Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave her first public comment Sunday on “13 Hours,” a film released nationally Friday that portrays America’s reaction to the deadly attack in 2012 on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.
The then-secretary of state was asked by NBC’s Chuck Todd if her department had done everything it could have on September 11, 2012 to try to save the four Americans who were killed.
“Based on everything I know and based on a Republican-led Intelligence Committee investigation, a Republican-led Armed Services Committee investigation, the answer to that is yes, that people were scrambling trying to figure out what could be done if anything,” Clinton said on “Meet the Press.”
The former top diplomat is not mentioned in the film.
Clinton said there were a number of dramatizations in the movie but would not speak to how the movie mischaracterized the event. Instead, Clinton redirected the interview to preventing future attacks.
“I testified for more than 11 hours, as you know. I answered every question that I was asked and my real focus, Chuck, is what do we do to make sure that when we send Americans into harm’s way, military or civilians, our diplomats or our soldiers, we take every precaution to the best of our ability in what is an unpredictable and dangerous world to make sure that they can discharge their duties and be safe while doing it,” Clinton said.
Todd did not follow up on the remark. Clinton did not elaborate.
