Clinton: I don’t recall joking about droning Julian Assange

Responding to unconfirmed allegations circulating on right-wing websites, Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that she does not remember ever joking about targeting the founder of WikiLeaks in a drone strike.

The conservative website True Pundit cited anonymous “State Department sources” in a report on Sunday to claim that Clinton in 2010 suggested to some staff members that the U.S. “drone” Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, whose website had embarrassed the U.S. when it published diplomatic cables, among other documents.


“Can’t we just drone this guy?” the website claimed Clinton had said.

WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy organization that publishes documents from governments, corporations and other sources, tweeted out the quote from the True Pundit report on Monday. No mainstream news outlets have confirmed the claim.

“I don't recall any joke,” Clinton said, when asked about the allegations at a press conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. “It would have been a joke, if it had been said, but I don't recall that.”

The same reporter also asked Clinton about Assange’s recent promise to soon release documents that could affect the November election. WikiLeaks published a series of internal Democratic National Committee communications that embarrassed the party on the eve of its July convention, and suggested there was more to come.

“Are you worried that there’s anything that could come out that would upend the race?” the reporter asked Clinton.

“Well, I don't know anything about what he’s talking about,” Clinton said, before responding to the drone comment allegations.

