White House press secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday defended Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's assertion that the administration's initial claims the Benghazi attack was the result of a violent protest — rather than terrorism — made no "difference" in the big picture of the tragedy.
Carney, speaking to reporters at the White House daily briefing, said Clinton was referring to "an obvious political obsession over a series of talking points that again bears no relevance on the central issues" around the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Clinton spent the morning detailing the Obama administration's response to the attack, delivering emotional and fiery testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"The fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest? Or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?" Clinton said in response to one question.
Republicans have been highly critical of the White House. They argue that early comments made by United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, which suggested the violence was the result of a protest over an anti-Islam video, amounted to a cover-up.
On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) accused Rice of “purposely misleading the American public” about the events preceding the attacks.
Carney said the White House was focused on bringing those responsible to justice and preventing further attacks. The administration believes those goals were more important than Rice's comments, which Carney said bear "no relevance on the ultimate questions."
For more on Carney's comments, click here.
