On Friday morning, to the consternation of many of Clinton’s liberal critics—and supporters—it was reported that Kissinger was about to endorse Hillary Clinton alongside former Secretary of State George Schultz. But, after weeks of will he, won’t he speculation, Kissinger decided not to endorse anyone, releasing a joint statement with Schultz:
The Clinton campaign has explicitly targeted prominent Republicans throughout this election as it tries to convert suburban Republicans who are skeptical of Donald Trump. While many of Clinton’s critics on the left (myself included) have rolled their eyes at that outreach, Kissinger—along with Iraq War architect Paul Wolfowitz—was considered a bridge too far, given his decades-long record of “murderous, illegal foreign policy.” Courting Kissinger in the first place was a mistake, but missing out on his endorsement is the biggest gift the Clinton campaign has given the left in weeks, if not longer, even if it was inadvertent.