Democratic strategist Maria Cardona said Monday that Hillary Clinton is under no obligation to disavow Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Cardona said she "would imagine" Clinton will disavow Weinstein, a long-time fundraiser for the Democratic Party, and she offered a range of explanations for Democrats’ silence. The former senior advisor to Clinton pivoted to talking about her old boss's present situation and why she should not be criticized.
"You know, it's so interesting that when she does come out to talk about something, people can't wait to say, ‘Oh, Hillary Clinton just go away, why don't you just shut up,’" Cardona said, clearly critical of people's judgments of Clinton. "And then when she doesn't say anything, people are clamoring, ‘Why isn't Hillary Clinton talking?’"
"I think Hillary Clinton has earned the right to talk about what she damn well pleases when she damn well pleases," Cardona added, saying the same applied to the Obamas. "She doesn't owe anybody anything."
After offering those answers for prominent Democrats, Cardona turned the discussion to Republicans and President Donald Trump.
"Democrats did not elect a sexual predator to be in the White House," Cardona said. "When Republicans give back the millions and millions of dollars that the sexual-predator-in-chief that is now in the White House has helped them raise, then we can have this conversation."
Political commentator Margaret Hoover said Maria was missing the importance of Weinstein.
"This is a man who is a leading funder in the Democratic Party, and Michelle Obama said he was a good man," Hoover said. "She's also the same person who said listening to Donald Trump makes her physically ill during the campaign."
Hoover said the silence from Clinton and the Obamas was not befitting such prominent leaders of the Democratic Party.
"It's deafening that she hasn't said something yet, and she should, and so should the Obamas, whose daughter interned for this predator," Hoover said. Malia Obama, 19, interned with the Weinstein Company just this year.
Cardona defended Democrats by saying that none of them condone Weinstein’s actions, and also said that Democrats are "giving back" the money they received from him. The Democratic National Committee, however, has only donated a small portion of about $300,000 it received from Weinstein, giving it to Democrat-aligned groups.
Earlier Monday, Clinton took criticism for not speaking out from a former MSNBC host, as well. Other Democrats have refrained from condemning Weinstein, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.).