Clinton's spoiled victory party Tuesday was supposed to be the crowning moment. Then the media ruined it.

Hillary Clinton has held 419 events since launching her campaign last year, visited 42 states and announced 53 distinct policy proposals.

But she’s been short on creating big, memorable “moments” as she criss-crossed the country participating in sober roundtable discussions and scripted rallies.


Tuesday night was supposed to be that big, crowning moment when she declared victory over her rival Bernie Sanders — until the Associated Press stole Clinton's thunder by calling her the presumptive nominee Monday evening, a day earlier than the campaign had planned.

The drama of a historic victory rally at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the night when Clinton was set to clinch the nomination — a triumphant celebration in her adopted home state, walking distance from her campaign headquarters, eight years to the day after she delivered her famous “glass ceiling” speech conceding to Barack Obama — was suddenly deflated, without a spoiler alert.

In some sense, it was a problem in paradise — whether the race was called Monday or Tuesday, when she was previously expected to have the secured the backing of 2,383 delegates, Clinton is set to make history as the first female nominee of a major party. Some Democrats interpreted the call as a possibly helpful distraction from a tightening California contest that could potentially embarrass Clinton if it ends in a loss.

But campaign officials said they were furious that the AP stepped on their big moment, venting that “Tuesday should be the night.” And the news break didn’t help with the most important message between now and the Democratic National Convention in July: party unity.

“The AP's early call in the presidential race probably isn't how the Clinton campaign wanted to wrap this up,” said Democratic strategist Lis Smith, a former senior campaign aide to former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. “It feeds into Sanders' supporters' belief that the game is rigged, and the Sanders campaign is certainly out there stoking that sentiment right now.”

Indeed, the early results angered some of Sanders’ most high-profile surrogates who interpreted it as the establishment backing the establishment.

“SHAME ON YOU @AP,” tweeted actress Shailene Woodley. “Superdelegates don’t vote until July 25. U are feeding false narratives to suppress the American people. Democracy? WHERE.”

Incensed, Woodley added: “if @POTUS endorses #HRC after this @AP shit, he’ll lose any & all credibility as a man w integrity. This is intentional devastating propaganda.”

And it only fueled the festering resentment between the two warring factions of the Democratic party at a time when Clinton is seeking to bring Sanders' backers into the fold. Clinton’s former top policy aide Neera Tanden responded to Woodley online: “just like being lead actor in the Divergent series would make u lose any & all credibility (sorry, I couldn’t help it).”

The Sanders campaign also instigated its supporters not to accept the early call.

“Secretary Clinton does not have and will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination,” said Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs. “She will be dependent on superdelegates who do not vote until July 25 and who can change their minds between now and then.”

The fear for Clinton, Democrats said, was that the earlier-than-expected results could also discourage complacent California voters from turning out Tuesday — and a loss for Clinton in the most populous state would diminish her history-making victory.

Clinton campaign officials sought to downplay the AP announcement, even as it ran as a banner headline on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post. “We’re going to have a nominee tomorrow,” campaign manager Robby Mook stressed on CNN Tuesday morning. "All these races are competitive. You know, we're never exactly sure what's going to happen.”

In a statement Monday night, he also cautioned that “there are six states that are voting Tuesday...we look forward to Tuesday night, when Hillary Clinton will clinch not only a win in the popular vote, but also the majority of pledged delegates.”



But the Clinton campaign also sent mixed messages, both embracing and downplaying the victory. It blasted out the AP's breaking news headline to supporters via text, while also noting "this primary isn't (quite) over."

Clinton officials said Tuesday that the call would not alter their victory night plans. “Our approach today is the same as it was yesterday before the AP projected the race for Hillary Clinton,” said Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. “We are going to turn out as many votes as we can in the six states voting today, clinch the majority of pledged delegates, and then look forward to making some history.”

But some pollsters said the AP's announcement could have a marginal effect on turnout in California. “There could be some impact, particularly on the West Coast, because presumptive nominee was added to the Democratic lexicon last night,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Polling. “It could get some Sanders people upset, or make Clinton people complacent. It adds something to the chemistry of tonight.”

