As liberal CNN political commentator and former Barack Obama advisor David Axelrod appeared as a guest on Thursday's New Day, CNN co-anchor Alisyn Camerota brought up accusations by Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon that the inspector general investigating the Clinton email scandal is "in cahoots" with congressional Republicans, and questioned the logic of such a claim.
Before recalling that the inspector general was appointed by President Obama, Camerota raised the issue of political collaboration:
I want to talk about the emails a little bit more because we had Secretary Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon on yesterday, and he told us something that I hear a thread starting, of a narrative beginning in the campaign. He basically said that the inspector general who's been investigating all of this is in cahoots with the Republicans in Congress.
She then added: "How do we know that to be true? Do we believe that? And is that the right pushback for them?"
As Axelrod began by suggesting that there could be politics involved, the CNN co-host added:
I mean, he was a nominee from President Obama in 2011, we should point out, so the idea that he's now working in cahoots with Republicans smacks some as made up.
Referring to how he believes the Clinton campaign should react, Axelrod advised:
I think they've got to stick to the bottom line point that Hillary Clinton was making, which is, did she knowingly transmit information that she knew to be classified? And I think that's sort of home base for them because that's likely to be, the answer to that is likely to be no.
Camerota jumped back in to follow up: "Yes, but, I mean, they say it's about her judgment, she should have known that the content was hot."
Axelrod admitted that it was "not good judgment" for Clinton to do her work on a private server as he responded:
I think it's fair to say, and it's been said by her and others, that the whole notion of having all your communications on a private email, on your own server was not good judgment. I think that's a fair critique. Whether this is a fair critique, I think, will unfold, as she says, as the Justice Department looks at this.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Thursday, January 21, New Day on CNN:
7:27 a.m. ET
ALISYN CAMEROTA I want to talk about the emails a little bit more because we had Secretary Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon on yesterday, and he told us something that I hear a thread starting, of a narrative beginning in the campaign.
He basically said that the inspector general who's been investigating all of this is in cahoots with the Republicans in Congress. How do we know that to be true? Do we believe that? And is that the right pushback for them?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it's not unheard of that there are politics in these inspector general reports and in these relationships, and so, you know, and-
CAMEROTA I mean, he was a nominee from President Obama in 2011, we should point out, so the idea that he's now working in cahoots with Republicans smacks some as made up.
AXELROD: I think they've got to stick to the bottom line point that Hillary Clinton was making, which is, did she knowingly transmit information that she knew to be classified? And I think that's sort of home base for them because that's likely to be, the answer to that is likely to be no.
CAMEROTA: Yes, but, I mean, they say it's about her judgment, she should have known that the content was hot.
AXELROD: I think it's fair to say, and it's been said by her and others, that the whole notion of having all your communications on a private email, on your own server was not good judgment. I think that's a fair critique. Whether this is a fair critique, I think, will unfold, as she says, as the Justice Department looks at this.
