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The Way Trump & Clinton Handle Scandals Says A Lot

by Abby Johnston

October has been a busy month for the presidential candidates, or at the very least for their public relations personnel. With the clock ticking down to Election Day, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both dealt with high-profile scandals. The scandals couldn't be more different, and neither could the aftermath. The way that Trump and Clinton handle their separate scandals says a lot about the candidates.

FBI Director James Comey wrote a letter to Congress on Oct. 28 updating lawmakers about the investigation into Clinton's emails. As Comey wrote in the letter, it isn't clear if the newly-discovered emails are actually related to the investigation, only that they appear to be. So there's still a lot that's unclear at this point. Still, Trump pumped up the announcement at a rally in New Hampshire and now, once again, we're talking about what Bernie Sanders once affectionally dubbed those "damn emails."

Clinton's campaign was understandably upset about the vague announcement, but Clinton called for the FBI to quickly release the full details of what the new findings are. “The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” Clinton said during a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa, according to the Guardian. “It’s imperative that the bureau explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without further delay.”

Let's compare that reaction for a moment to the messy aftermath of the Access Hollywood tape. Trump did apologize in a recorded statement, but as more and more women started to come forward alleging that he had sexually assaulted them, Trump seemed to lose that brief moment of calm after he denied every allegation. "Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," Trump said told a crowd in Gettysburg, according to CNN. "Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."

Granted, the two situations are very different. But when provoked with something that challenges their credibility, the two candidates reacted in vastly different ways. Clinton asked for the facts to be released immediately, and though she was likely angry, she remained relatively calm. Meanwhile, Trump immediately put up his defenses, publicly calling the women who accused him liars, and reacting in a completely volatile way.

Trump isn't exactly known for his temperament, but if he is going to sue everyone who is ever involved in a scandal with him, then the presidency might not be the best gig for him.