‘Heartbroken’ Clinton Blames Comey For Defeat, Distributes Roses To Staff

Democratic Nominee Says FBI Director “Stopped Our Momentum”

Hillary Clinton said Saturday that two letters from FBI Director James Comey to Congress concerning the agency’s investigation into her use of a private email server may have cost her the election. 

“There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful,” Clinton told top donors on a farewell conference call, according to The Washington Post. “But our analysis is that Comey’s letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum.” 

Clinton said she was ahead in all but two battleground states before the first letter hit 11 days before the election. 

“We dropped, and we had to keep really pushing ahead to regain our advantage — which going into the last weekend, we had,” Clinton said.

But then Comey sent a second letter Nov. 6 clearing Clinton of any possible charges, which only served to bolster Trump’s narrative that the system is rigged. 

“Just as we were back up on the upward trajectory, the second letter from Comey essentially doing what we knew it would — saying there was no there there — was a real motivator for Trump’s voters,” Clinton said, adding that she was “heartbroken” about Tuesday’s defeat. 

Politico notes that the call, which reportedly lasted 32 minutes, represented Clinton’s first public comments since her concession speech Wednesday morning. “The thrust of the call was about the need to stay active and the importance of supporting local, state, and national candidates in the future, the person added, noting that Clinton encouraged them to speak out, run for office, and not give up despite the dispiriting loss.” 

According to ABC News, Clinton also told donors she’s “concerned” and “deeply saddened” for those who are living in fear after Trump’s victory. “She called on the group to stand up for the people who may not be able to defend themselves.” 

At a party for her campaign staff on Friday night in Brooklyn, Clinton distributed 1,000 roses that had been sent to her by the women’s rights group Ultra Violet: