Meet the Brooklyn Woman Waiting Outside Benghazi Hearing as a 'Visual Silent Protest'
— -- As Hillary Clinton was answering questions today from the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Diane Atkins was among the hundred or so people waiting in line outside the hearing on Capitol Hill, hoping to get in.
Atkins traveled the roughly 230 miles from New York to D.C. to be a “visual silent protest against Hillary Clinton," she said.
“She was negligent in her duties,” Atkins told ABC News. “Instead of giving our ambassador and our Americans in Libya more security, she pulled security away from them.”
The Brooklyn native came dressed in an orange jumpsuit. Atkins has Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign logo painted on the top right of the jumpsuit -- but the logo is upside down. Beneath that is the date of Benghazi attack in Libya. On her left side, Atkins has a “bloody handprint” -- a reference to the bloodstains found on the columns of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The back of her jumpsuit reads: “#ProsecuteHillary 4 negligent homicide, obstruction of justice, gross negligence etc. etc.”
“I know it's quite extreme but that's how I feel,” Atkins told ABC News.
Atkins was doubtful she’d make it into the hearing, but that’s not the point.
“It's the whole point of expressing your free speech and just coming out and sharing your opinion whether people like it or not,” Atkins said.
“I feel very strongly that she has no business running for president after what happened in Benghazi. I really think that precludes her from being the commander-in-chief,” Atkins argued.
So who, in Atkins’ opinion, would make a great commander-in-chief?
“I actually like Ted Cruz. I think he's awesome," Atkins said of the Republican senator from Texas. "I think he's a strong constitutional conservative and that's what we need."
Although frontrunner Donald Trump is a fellow New Yorker and she loves Trump, Atkins said, “Cruz is the guy for me.”
But Atkins did say she was "grateful" for Donald Trump, noting that his "celebrity I think is doing wonders for the Republican race."
"He's bringing in people who never would in a million years listen to a senator, or congressman, certainly not a senator. They’re listening to him and he's bringing issues to the forefront. So I’m grateful for him,” Atkins told ABC News.
ABC News’ Ali Weinberg contributed to this report.
