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By Matthew Rusling
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The move by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to reopen a criminal investigation into U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails may sap her supporters' enthusiasm so close to Election Day, experts said.
FBI Director James Comey dropped a bombshell last Friday when he announced he would re-open the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct business while she was secretary of state.
Critics say Clinton's use of a private email account, instead of a secure, government-issued one, could jeopardize U.S. national security, as it could be easier to hack by foreign powers.
Experts said the FBI announcement will hurt Clinton, who just weeks ago held a significant 7-point lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump.
Indeed, it has already diminished that lead significantly in the past days, putting the candidates in a tight race. Clinton's lead has now narrowed to around 1.7 points in the RealClearPolitics average.
The FBI investigation may not spur non-Trump supporters to suddenly change their minds and cast their ballots in favor of the brash New York billionaire. But it may solidify Trump's base and dampen enthusiasm among Clinton supporters, causing some of them to stay home on the Nov. 8 Election Day, experts said.
"It's a positive sign for Trump and one that he would like to have had a little bit earlier than it's occurred," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell told Xinhua.
"To some extent, it's depressing enthusiasm on the Democratic side. But if nothing else, it should help Trump consolidate the Republican base," he said.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, last week saw 53 percent of Trump supporters saying they were "very enthusiastic" about Trump, and 51 percent saying the same about Clinton -- essentially a tie.
But that changed drastically by Tuesday, a few days after Comey's announcement, with enthusiasm among Clinton supporters plunging to 43 percent, while Trump's numbers remaining the same, the poll found.
"If Trump can get 90 percent of registered Republicans supporting him, he could conceivably become the next president of the United States," O'Connell said.
"But we really won't know until Election Day," he added.
O'Connell still thought that a Trump win has probably "only about a 25 or 30 percent chance."
There are a number of opinions over whether Comey should have re-opened the investigation. Supporters say no one is above the law, including a political insider like Clinton, but opponents say the FBI's move is essentially a government agency stepping in and influencing the election, in a system in which law enforcement is supposed to butt out of the electoral process.
Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua it is "unprecedented" for the FBI to make such an announcement so close to Election Day.
He called the FBI move "an explosion" that will impact what happens on Election Day, adding that normally the FBI does not make such announcements so close to elections.
Comey has not been specific about the new allegations against Clinton. All that is known so far is that a trove of allegedly unseen Clinton emails were discovered on the computer of Anthony Weiner, a former Congressman and ex-husband of top Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin. The emails were discovered during the FBI probe of Weiner's alleged texting of sexual content to an underage 15-year-old girl.
The results of the FBI investigation into the latest emails will not be released until after the Nov. 8 presidential election.
