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Protester At Clinton Campaign Rally Holds Sign Referencing Benghazi

November 17, 2015

Hillary Clinton spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at a campaign event held at Mountain View College in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, but one member of the audience was there to protest the Democratic frontrunner's rally.

Amid a large group of Clinton supporters, a man can be seen on camera holding a sign high in the air that reads: "Yes, Ms. Clinton, it does make a difference!"

The phrase is a reference to a spontaneous outburst the former secretary of state had at a congressional hearing in 2013 over the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi by a substantial group of jihadists, which occurred Sept. 11, 2012.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) was questioning Clinton over how she and the Obama administration understood and had explained the cause of the events in Benghazi, an exchange which became increasingly contentious.

Clinton then said to Johnson, "Was it because of a protest, or was it because of guys out for a walk one night and decided they’d go kill some Americans? What difference–at this point, what difference does it make?"

The Obama administration and then-Secretary of State Clinton initially blamed an internet video for causing the attacks, saying that it led to a protest that got out of hand, but it turned out that the violence was actually a planned terrorist attack. Clinton, however, privately told her daughter and a foreign leader shortly after the violence that it was a planned attack, but she told family members of the victims that the video was the primary cause.

The assault on the U.S. consulate resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, who had repeatedly requested more security from the State Department.

Clinton's critics frequently cite her handling of the Benghazi incident as an example of dishonesty and poor leadership, a charge her supporters dismiss as gross efforts to disparage her and hurt her bid for the presidency.

The man holding the sign at Tuesday's campaign rally for Clinton can be seen being confronted by another man in the crowd. He appears to be an event official or security personnel, although it is unclear from the video.