The Hillary Clinton campaign poked fun at a growing brouhaha over its decision to rope off the press while she paraded in New Hampshire.
"While the GOP may want to spin a good yarn on this, let's not get tied up in knots," reads a statement from Clinton's traveling press secretary Nick Merrill.
Clinton participated in a Fourth of July parade in Gorham, N.H., and cordoned off the press with a rope line that moved as the candidate advanced in the parade.
Merrill said that the campaign wanted to accommodate the press and allow Clinton to greet voters, "and allow the press to be right there in the parade with her as opposed to preset locations. And that's what we did."
The photos of the press roped in by staffers made the rounds on social media and were discussed on several Sunday shows.
While the campaign was dismissive of the incident, it has had to counter criticism that Clinton has been too cloistered and inaccessible to the traveling press corps.
Clinton campaign responds to ropeline story: "While the GOP may want to spin a good yarn on this..." pic.twitter.com/QgvJZP40Vs
— Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) July 4, 2015
Clinton advance aides create a rope line for the press, moving with the candidate pic.twitter.com/9S7CpVt7x4
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 4, 2015
Spectacle of Clinton as candidate - press being pulled along with a rope, Benghazi protester screams "carpetbagger" pic.twitter.com/1aeopWiLjv
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 4, 2015
Clinton reporters being roped down a parade route via @JaxAlemany snaps pic.twitter.com/mpNKofK7r7
— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) July 4, 2015
So many people trying to get close to Hillary her aides are using a rope to keep press at distance pic.twitter.com/PkIl0Pez98
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) July 4, 2015