Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton did little to improve her reputation for keeping the press at a distance on Saturday when her aides held a rope to keep reporters from getting to close to her in a parade.
Reporters initially were allowed closer to Clinton at the annual Fourth of July parade in Gorham, New Hampshire,
Fox News reported, but were then pulled back by two Clinton staffers holding a rope that pulled reporters back as the staffers walked ahead of Clinton in the parade.
The campaign said the purpose was to allow residents along the parade route to see Clinton,
the New York Post reported, but the bad optics weren't missed by members of the press who quickly began tweeting out photos of their colleagues literally being dragged back by a rope.
"Clinton advance aides create a rope line for the press, moving with the candidate,"
tweeted New York Times presidential campaign correspondent Maggie Haberman. She included photos of a video photographer being dragged along.
"Never underestimate @HillaryClinton 's capacity to fritter away commanding natural advantages with poor judgment," tweeted Politico's chief political correspondent Glenn Thrush.
Clinton was criticized by New Hampshire Republicans and by her chief rival, Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
"Hillary Clinton continues to demonstrate her obvious contempt and disdain for the Granite State’s style of grassroots campaigning," Jennifer Horn, New Hampshire Republican state committee chairman said in a statement to the press. "The use of a rope line at a New Hampshire parade is a sad joke and insults the traditions of our first-in-the-nation primary."
The campaign gave a pun-filled response to CNN: "While the GOP might want to spin a good yarn on this, let’s not get tied up in knots. We wanted to accommodate the press, allow (Clinton) greet voter (sic.) And allow the press to be right there in the parade with her, as opposed to preset locations."
Sanders even gave a shout-out to Republicans who were in the state to March in July 4 parades.
"Today, Republican presidential candidates marched in parades across New Hampshire that were open to the public without obstruction from their staff," Sanders said in a prepared statement. "Their efforts to reach out to voters and engage in retail campaigning stand in sharp contrast to Secretary Clinton’s arrogant and shameful behavior."
The press weren't Clinton's only critics. A small group of protesters followed closely behind her with one holding up a sign reading "Benghazi."
"Where were you at 3 a.m. when the phone rang?"
ABC reported the man with sign shouting. "Name one accomplishment! Tell us about when you were poor!"
Clinton ignored the man, saying "I'm just having a good time meeting everybody," when asked if she had any response to him.
"It was fabulous," she said of the parade afterward. "I love parades, I love walking in parades, got such a great response ... a lot of enthusiasm and energy to celebrate the Fourth of July."
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