Hillary Clinton Called Mitt Romney ‘Mittens’ During the 2012 Election

An email released Monday from Hillary Clinton’s private server shows the former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate referring to Mitt Romney as “Mittens” ahead of a Republican debate in Florida in 2012.

In response to an email about deadlines for Republican candidates to file in various states, Clinton wrote, “If Mittens can’t beat Grinch in Florida, there will be pressure on state Republican parties to reopen or liberalize ballot access especially in the caucuses, which as we know are creatures of the parties’ extremes.”

“Grinch” presumably refers to Romney’s then-rival and Bill Clinton’s former antagonist, Newt Gingrich.

Nine days after the email was sent, Romney won the Florida Republican primary with 46% of the vote.