David Jackson

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton's presidential bid takes a heavy blow, and Donald Trump sees a big opportunity.

The stunning statement by FBI Director James Comey that agents are reviewing newly discovered information regarding Clinton emails rocked the presidential race this weekend, though analysts said it will be a few days before the campaigns know whether actual voters' minds are being changed.

Certainly Trump sees the probe as an election-changing event, telling supporters in Colorado on Saturday that the "criminal and illegal conduct of Hillary Clinton" amounts to "the biggest political scandal since Watergate."

As the crowd chanted "lock her up! lock her up!" Trump said that "Hillary has nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles." He later added, repeatedly, that "she is so guilty," and said that "a vote for Hillary is vote a to surrender our government to public corruption, graft and cronyism."

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Clinton and her aides, who are demanding that the FBI release more information about its review, said voters have already made up their minds about her use of a private email server while secretary of State.

"I think that's factored into what people think," Clinton told reporters in Des Moines on Friday, "and now they're choosing a president."

Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said Comey needs to provide more details about the FBI's review, telling reporters Saturday that “there’s no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing, no indication that this is even about Hillary — it’s hard to see how this amounts to anything, and we’re not going to be distracted.”

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At initial glance, it appears the new FBI development will benefit Trump, who trails Clinton in most national and swing-state polls, analysts said — maybe not by changing peoples' minds, but by prompting equivocal voters to back the New York businessman.

"It re-frames the election as a referendum on Clinton and all the baggage she brings into office with her," said Republican consultant Bruce Haynes, founding partner of Washington-based Purple Strategies. "It puts the spotlight squarely back on her, all her faults and all the truckloads of baggage she brings."

There are more email stories to come.

In calling for more specific information from the FBI, Clinton and aides cited the vague nature of Comey's letter to congressional leaders. Agents have not yet determined whether the new information is significant and cannot say whether they are duplicates of missives that were reviewed as part of a previous investigation into Clinton's private server.

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The Clinton campaign has also raised a fairness issue. Podesta said, "It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election."

In July, Comey announced that the bureau would not pursue charges against Clinton and that the FBI found no evidence of intentional mishandling of classified information. Trump and other Republicans criticized Comey for that decision.

This new phase began when agents discovered the emails as part of another investigation, this one into allegations that former U.S. representative Anthony Weiner sexted a 15-year-old girl. Weiner is the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin; the couple are now separated.

During his appearance in Colorado, Trump said he predicted that the "major sleaze" Weiner would somehow bring trouble to Clinton. He also wondered whether the candidate would retain Abedin, saying "Huma's been a problem."

As the campaigns await new polling data, Haynes noted that recent surveys — pre-FBI — showed a narrowing race, with Trump attracting more support from Republicans who had been skeptical of his candidacy, as well as some independents.

Clinton has for the most part held onto her base voters, Haynes said, but "this news is the kind of late-game bombshell that could cause some of her soft supporters to reconsider and switch."

Republican pollster Frank Luntz said the email situation is Clinton's "Achilles' heel," but Trump might be wise to play it cool on the campaign trail and "let the information do the talking."

Said Luntz: "The more he publicly relishes her problem the less able he is to take advantage of it."

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Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said most voters are locked into their choice, but some can still be swayed by developing news events. Given how little is currently known about these newly discovered emails, this story lends itself to "a lot of wild speculation," Murray said, so "the question is how this plays on the news programs those swayable voters are watching."

That said, it seems like there will be some kind of impact on Clinton, and perhaps Democratic candidates in congressional and state races.

"Unless the FBI closes this new investigation one way or the other next week, the likely impact will be to cut into Clinton’s margin," Murray said, "with the bigger effect being on down-ballot races than on the outcome of the presidential election."