Blumenthal on whether he still emails with Clinton: 'We're friends'

Sidney Blumenthal, the longtime friend and confidant of Bill and Hillary Clinton, declined to say directly Thursday whether he still exchanges emails with the former secretary of state.

Blumenthal, a former aide to the 42nd president and frequent emailer of advice to Clinton while she was at the State Department, appeared on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes" to promote his Abraham Lincoln biography.


As far as the looming general election bout with Donald Trump goes, Blumenthal told Hayes that Clinton's low favorability numbers with the electorate could be largely attributed to the "email controversy" and the House Benghazi Committee's investigation.

"Do you still email with Hillary Clinton?" Hayes asked, alluding to the many emails Blumenthal sent (and fewer he received) that were revealed by court-ordered monthly releases of Clinton's correspondence at the State Department over the past year.

Blumenthal responded: "Do I still email with Hillary Clinton? We're friends."

"You can answer that," Hayes said, after some laughter.

"No, no, we've been friends for 30 years," Blumenthal said.