The already chaotic campaign season took a catastrophic turn for Huma Abedin, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s closest aide. Abedin, married to former Congressman Anthony Weiner, has worked next to Clinton since the early 1990s. Abedin learned on Sunday that her husband had sent revealing photos of himself to a woman met on social media. Because of their esteemed status, no one would have guessed that Weiner would have done this—had it not been his third sexting allegation. Weiner’s previous sex scandals caused him to give up his senate seat and damaged his 2013 mayoral campaign. Abedin and Weiner had not been married one year when Weiner was first accused of extramarital behavior. Abedin’s tight connection to Clinton may remind voters of the Clinton sex scandal during Bill Clinton’s time in office. Neither Abedin nor HRC decided to leave their spouse, opting to work on their marriages. This time however, Abedin has made the decision to separate from Weiner; one of the pictures revealed him to be next to their four-year-old son.
The recent scandal may prove damaging to the Clinton campaign; it adds to the shadow cast by the 90s presidential sex scandal. Republican nominee Donald Trump believes that the allegations are a matter of the nation’s security, saying “Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information.” Whether or not it is relevant to national security, some voters may be wary about who they can trust in the upcoming election. Staunch Clinton supporters do not seem to doubt Abedin’s trustworthiness; one supporter believes Weiner is a separate problem, saying “Nobody liked him at the start and nobody likes him now. We could never figure it out.” No matter which way voters lean, they must take all factors into account. Abedin does not plan to take leave away from the Clinton campaign.
RyThomp • Sep 9, 2016 at 9:29 am
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