CBS’s Face the Nation panel blasted Hillary Clinton’s transparency and honesty problems on Sunday, delivering a scathing review of Clinton’s campaign.
Clinton’s campaign released her health records and tax returns on the same day thousands of her emails were released by the State Department, leading many pundits to believe Clinton’s troubling polling numbers are driving her to push a "charade of transparency" and a new narrative of openness.
"This perception of her not being transparent, which I think is not just a media narrative, it is a fact the Clintons, especially Hillary, are very guarded, very secretive people and this is erupted into multiple controversies, including the email scandal, and so they realize that is hurting them," panelist Molly Ball said.
Ball noted that much of the information Clinton released would have to come out eventually, so politically it made sense for her to use this opportunity to appear more open.
Ron Fournier referred to Clinton’s attack on the New York Times after they reported a criminal investigation into Clinton’s emails as "serial disingenuous behavior," saying the campaign is building up a straw man to distract from the facts of the story.
"There is a big story and big questions ahead to be asked about what she’s hiding in the emails, why she’s not being transparent, and why’s she’s not following the rules," Fournier said.
"I want to go back to the issue of her negatives, which no doubt are in part a reflection of people's reaction to the e-mails and other things. I think this is something that has to concern the Clinton campaign," the Washington Post’s Dan Balz said. "I mean, they cannot take this lightly."
Clinton received her worst favorability rating ever this week, is losing ground to Republican rivals, and is seen as honest and trustworthy as Donald Trump.