MSNBC’s Morning Joe panelists were less than impressed with Hillary Clinton’s first nationally televised interview as a presidential candidate this election cycle, ripping her for 10 straight minutes on Wednesday.
"It's not true that everything she did was acceptable under regulations. It's not true that she only had one device, and you can go down the list," host Joe Scarborough said.
Beyond the content of Clinton’s words, which Scarborough said would take three hours to unwind, the panel lambasted the Democratic frontrunner’s performance. Clinton has infamously avoided the press for months, leading Mike Barnicle to suggest she is rusty.
"A couple things popped out, at least at me watching that interview. One is there is still a lot of rust on this political vehicle, Hillary Clinton’s candidacy," Barnicle said. "She is still in the spring training phase, I think, of getting her message out."
Barnicle’s critique did not end there. He said Clinton looked fearful.
"The other element is the difference in we're used to hearing and seeing her husband who's been with us forever on the political stage. He is fearless on the stage," Barnicle said. "She is fearful. Her eyes just seem frightened at every word she says. She is weighing and measuring every word that comes out of her mouth. Not a great moment yesterday."
Jonathan Capehart disagreed with Barnicle, saying Clinton looked annoyed.
"Well, you know, to jump on something that Barnicle just said that Secretary Clinton looked fearful, to me she looked annoyed, especially talking about the email, the email controversy," Capehart said. "Clearly it seemed to me that she's just tired of answering these questions."
Katty Kay said Clinton looked evasive, tying her sinking poll numbers to her speaking style in public.
"I think [her numbers have] collapsed because of what we saw yesterday which is a performance issue, a stylish issue, which is a mannerism which she has of looking and sounding evasive," Kay said.
"There is something about the way when she is asked a question, she visibly doesn't like being pushed or pushed for transparency," Kay continued. "I thought that was the weakest part of the interview last night is the manner in which she answered the questions."
They are not the only ones who found Clinton’s performance wanting. The reporter who interviewed Clinton, CNN’s Brianna Keilar, said, "I didn’t hear a more open or transparent Hillary Clinton."