MSNBC's Kasie Hunt said she and other reporters tried and failed, again, to speak to Hillary Clinton on the rope line Wednesday in the wake of the political firestorm surrounding the FBI report on her private email use.
Hunt said that Clinton made a "calculated decision" to only respond to a voter who shouted at her into the crowd in Atlantic City, New Jersey, while avoiding reporters after her speech criticizing Donald Trump's business practices.
Hunt said this was due to FBI Director James Comey's statement about her email scandal on Tuesday. Comey did not recommend charges but slammed her conduct as "extremely careless" with classified material.
"The challenge, though, what's been looming over her with these emails," Hunt said. "We tried to talk to her here on the rope line. She made no mention of her emails in her speech. We weren't able to get up there to get her to answer our question, even though she could—she had responded to a voter who was here and who shouted at her into the crowd. So, a very calculated decision not to respond ahead of Comey's testimony coming up on the Hill."
Clinton had been previously called out by Hunt on MSNBC for avoiding reporters on the rope line the day of the FBI making its announcement:
Hunt said she tried to get a word in with Clinton after her event but was unsuccessful, as the candidate not only avoided the rope line but also only spoke to people that reporters could not reach.
"I tried to get a word with her about this after the event," she said. "She steered clear of the rope line, talked very briefly to some folks here that reporters couldn’t get to. Her top aides are here with her. Huma Abedin, who also of course was tied up in this…"
Hunt said it was "unusual" behavior.