Outlandish

Clinton camp blasts Trump's 'outlandish' response to Abedin-Weiner split

By Nick Gass

Top Hillary Clinton strategist Joel Benenson laced into Donald Trump as "outlandish" on Tuesday for using the separation of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and husband Anthony Weiner to claim that the Democratic nominee has poor judgment.

"You know, here we've got what is a painful private situation for Huma Abedin and her son," Benenson said during a discussion on CNN's "New Day. "And anybody who's been through any marital separation knows that that is a difficult process in a divorce. Here they've got to do it in public and we should leave it private for these folks."

Trump released a statement titled "DONALD J. TRUMP STATEMENT ON HILLARY CLINTON’S BAD JUDGMENT" within hours of Abedin's announcement that she had decided to separate from Weiner after reports of his latest sexting scandal. The Republican nominee, declaring that Abedin had made a "wise decision," has repeatedly speculated about the risk of Weiner leaking classified information as a result of Abedin's longstanding professional relationship to Clinton.

"Who knows what he learned and who he told? It's just another example of Hillary Clinton's bad judgment. It is possible that our country and its security have been greatly compromised by this," Trump said in the statement.

Benenson cast the statement as "another one of the outlandish things this man tosses about," including his tweet last weekend suggesting that African-American voters would vote for him after the cousin of NBA player Dwyane Wade was shot dead amid crossfire in Chicago.

"This is what he does," Benenson said. "He thinks everything is about him, his political opportunism."