Long-time Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin offered her first-ever tweet on Monday — and it’s a shot at Republican presidential contender Ben Carson.
Carson is under fire for his Sunday comment on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he “would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.”
Abedin, who is Muslim, tweeted: “You can be a proud American, a proud Muslim, and proudly serve this great country. Pride versus prejudice.”
Nick Merrill, Clinton’s traveling press secretary, also tweeted out a behind-the-scenes video of Abedin’s first tweet.
“This is too good not to share. @HumaAbedin pressing send for the first time,” he said.
Abedin is among Clinton’s closest staffers and vice-chairwoman of her campaign. She travels with the Democratic front-runner to campaign events — as she did during Clinton’s first run, in 2008. She was Clinton’s deputy chief of staff at the State Department.
The wife of former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, Abedin is also a controversial figure among conservatives. Five Republican congressmen in 2012 claimed that Abedin has three family members connected to the Muslim Brotherhood — a claim that was rejected by others, including Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has also raised ethical questions about Abedin’s pay at the State Department, alleging that she held other jobs at the time.
