After 11 Hours of Testimony, The Republicans Are Now Helping Hillary's Poll Numbers

Hillary Clinton's testimony at the Benghazi Select Committee was exhausting but ultimately beneficial for her credibility and campaign.

After 11 hours of testimony, Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi hearing has finally come to an unceremonious close. Throughout the marathon hearing, the former Secretary of State answered questions tirelessly and without hesitation. As the spotlight volleyed between Republicans and Democrats, the line of questioning followed suit. Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) set the bar low for decorum in his opening when he said that the Democratic committee had a “lousy” investigative performance. Ranking minority member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Elijah Cummings (D-MD) then defended the Democratic investigation by saying, “The Republican Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee conducted an extensive, bipartisan, two-year investigation and issued a detailed report. The Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Homeland Security Committee also conducted bipartisan investigations,” Cummings explained. “The problem is that Speaker Boehner did not like the answers he got from those investigations.”

Throughout the hearing, Cummings continued imply that the entire committee was an unnecessary waste of time and resources, reminding viewers that the funds allocated to the committee could have been used to improve the quality and safety of numerous consulates internationally. “Here is the bottom-line,” Cummings said, “the Select Committee has spent 17 months and $4.7 million in taxpayer funds.” He concluded that the committee was foolish and that our country is better than this. Every Democrat on the panel used their time to delegitimize the committee and its intentions, and to thank Secretary Clinton for her service to the country.

The committee has been under intense scrutiny recently following comments made by House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy on Fox News, implying that the House Republicans have managed is to undercut Clinton’s poll numbers through the House Select Committee. This verified what Democrats have been saying all along which is that the Benghazi Select Committee was set up with partisan political purposes.

As the hearing labored on approaching primetime hours, the Republican line of questioning became increasingly tedious. Democrats became more visibly frustrated, however Hillary Clinton kept a calm and well mannered tenor. As Republican committee members asked long winded questions about obscure details of an event taking place over three years ago, Secretary Clinton listened carefully and answered every question to the best of her ability, despite her being routinely interrupted for unnecessary reasons.

After committee members implied that she didn’t care about her people or about the attack, Secretary Clinton insisted that she cared about the events that occurred in Benghazi more than any of the committee members. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done."

After four hearings and 54 interviews and depositions, it is time for the Benghazi panel to come to an end. None of these documents and interviews have come to show any nefarious activity. Ultimately, they show the opposite. A CNN poll recently concluded that 3-in-4 Americans say that the Benghazi panel is politically motivated. The intention of the Republicans to form this committee was thinly veiled and will continue to backfire for as long as they keep up the charade.

How do you think Hillary handled the hearing? Was she calm and cool or defensive and cavalier?Let us know in the comments below!

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