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Clinton Emails: 'ROLF,' Plus 'Mittens' Romney And Newt The 'Grinch'

The State Department released the largest batch yet of emails from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary.
Cheryl Senter
/
AP
The State Department released the largest batch yet of emails from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary.

Call it an early Christmas present.

On Monday, the State Department released the largest batch yet of emails from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state that have been culled from the controversial private server she used.

According to a State Department official, Tuesday's release included 5,109 new emails totaling 7,825 pages. It's the largest release yet, which began in May, and now includes about two-thirds of Clinton's total emails. Most of the new emails are ones received and sent during 2012 and 2013, shortly before she left office. The full database can be searched here.

Republicans have criticized the Democratic presidential candidate for the use of her server instead of a government email address. While Clinton maintains that she never sent classified email over her account, a number have been retroactively classified. In the latest release, portions of 328 emails were upgraded to "Confidential" status.

As has been the case with previous releases, the emails have largely been routine process email correspondence. A running trend is confusion from Clinton over technology, glowing praise from close friends and employees and some insight into what her days looked like at the State Department.

Here are a few that stand out:

Praise Following Congressional Testimony

On Jan. 23, 2013, Clinton appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to answer questions about the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

She delivered a forceful, and sometimes emotional, defense of the events surrounding the attack and her response to it.

And some of her closest allies and others sent her several emails praising her performance.

Well, if Twitter says it ...
/ State Department
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State Department
Well, if Twitter says it ...
"Turkey?!?!?"
/ State Department
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State Department
"Turkey?!?!?"

Hillary <3's Twitter

After her staff sends her a compilation of tweets after her testimony, she voices something we've all wondered — what did we do before Twitter?

It is <em>so </em>addictive.
/ State Department
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State Department
It is so addictive.

Glasses Are Very 'In'

Clinton's relationship and emails from Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime friend and adviser, were a top target when she testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi in October. In an email about her previous testimony in January 2013, he praises how she answered questions from the "cretins and reptiles." And he notes that her look with her glasses was fab, according to his wife, Jackie. And as she needs to clear her head once she leaves office, why not walk a dog?!

Were they Warby Parker?
/ State Department
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State Department
Were they Warby Parker?

How To Work The Moving Picture Box

Another email where Clinton is having trouble with technology. This time, it's trying to find which channel Showtime's Homeland is on.

Must find out what happened to Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody!
/ State Department
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State Department
Must find out what happened to Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody!

We Think She Meant "ROFL"?

Clinton doesn't get this abbreviation exactly right, unless she did mean "Rolling On The Laughing Floor."

I don't think that's what she meant ...
/ State Department
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State Department
I don't think that's what she meant ...

'Mittens' And The 'Grinch'

Clinton had some nicknames for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich during the 2012 GOP primary race.

Spoiler alert: "Mittens" ended up pulling it out.
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State Department
Spoiler alert: "Mittens" ended up pulling it out.

The NFL Knows All About These Things

Who better to reach out to than NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about head injuries and concussions when Clinton suffered one herself in December 2012?

Having a "cracked head" doesn't sound like fun.
/ State Department
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State Department
Having a "cracked head" doesn't sound like fun.

Keeping Count

Republicans have criticized Clinton for touting her travel as an accomplishment while at State, and emails from that time show her aides were indeed keeping track of her time abroad, as well as her approval ratings.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Up, up in the air
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State Department
Up, up in the air
Tracking poll numbers
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State Department
Tracking poll numbers

Jessica Taylor is a political reporter with NPR based in Washington, DC, covering elections and breaking news out of the White House and Congress. Her reporting can be heard and seen on a variety of NPR platforms, from on air to online. For more than a decade, she has reported on and analyzed House and Senate elections and is a contributing author to the 2020 edition of The Almanac of American Politics and is a senior contributor to The Cook Political Report.
Ally Mutnick
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