begin quote from:
Clinton puts Trump on defense at first debate
CNN | - |
(CNN)
Hillary Clinton forced Donald Trump onto defense over his temperament,
refusal to release his taxes and his past comments about race and women
during a fiery debut presidential debate Monday -- a potentially pivotal
moment in a tight election ...
Clinton puts Trump on defense at first debate
Story highlights
- Trump repeats inaccurate statements on birther controversy, support for Iraq War
- Clinton on Trump: 'He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior'
(CNN)Hillary
Clinton forced Donald Trump onto defense over his temperament, refusal
to release his taxes and his past comments about race and women during a
fiery debut presidential debate Monday -- a potentially pivotal moment
in a tight election campaign.
Clinton,
who has seen her dominance of the presidential race fade in the weeks
since the Democratic convention, delivered a strong performance in which
she demonstrated a command of policy and a sense of humor, smiling
through some of Trump's strongest attacks. She delivered the best zinger
of the night in response to criticism from Trump for staying off the
campaign trail recently.
"I think
Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate," she said. "And
yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be
President. And that is a good thing."
Trump
came out swinging at the beginning of the debate, and made some
effective points on the economy and jobs -- some of the aspects of his
outsider presidential campaign that have struck a chord with many
Americans. But the debate highlighted Trump's tendency to make false
claims as he made inaccurate statements on everything from laws
regarding policing, his support for the Iraq War and his contention that
Clinton was behind the so-called birther conspiracy.
Appearing in the "spin room" after the debate to talk to journalists, Trump said he was happy with his performance.
"It went better than I ever thought," he told CNN's Dana Bash.
A
CNN/ORC poll of debate watchers released after the event found 62% felt
Clinton won compared to 27% for Trump. The poll suggests the debate
audience was a bit more Democratic than the public as a whole, about on
par with the Democratic tilt in the audience that watched the first
debate in 2008 between Obama and John McCain.
One
of the most powerful moments of the debate came when the conversation
focused on the so-called birther debate following Trump's recent
acknowledgment that President Barack Obama was born in the US -- a fact
that has been evident for years. With Trump standing just a few feet
from her, Clinton blasted him for perpetuating a "racist lie."
"He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior," Clinton said as Trump shook his head.
Trump hit back, noting Clinton's tough critiques of Obama during their bitter 2008 primary battle.
'Holier than thou'
"You
treated him with terrible disrespect and I watch the way you talk now
about how lovely everything is ... it doesn't work that way," he said.
"When you try to act holier than thou, it really doesn't work."
As the debate ended, Clinton hammered Trump over his treatment of women.
"This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs," Clinton said.
She
accused Trump of calling a Latina contestant in a beauty contest "Miss
Piggy" and a housekeeper because of her ethnicity, seemingly throwing
Trump off as he twice asked "Where did you find this?"
Clinton
repeatedly sought to correct Trump's statements -- going so far as
referring viewers to fact checks on her website -- as she aimed to
portray him as out of touch with the complexities of the American
economy.
"I know you live in your own reality," she told Trump.
Clinton
and Trump opened the debate on a positive note by shaking hands before
stationing themselves behind their podiums at Hofstra University on New
York's Long Island. Their spouses, former President Bill Clinton and
Melania Trump, also greeted each other before taking their seats in the
debate hall.
From there, the drama quickly unfolded.
An
increasingly angry Trump slammed Clinton for putting her plans to fight
ISIS on her website -- and thereby tipping off America's enemy.
"Well,
at least I have a plan to fight ISIS," Clinton responded, referring to
his previous statements that he has a "secret" plan to destroy the
terrorist group.
Battling over taxes
Clinton also hit Trump over his refusal to release his tax returns.
"Why won't he release his tax returns?" Clinton asked.
"Maybe
he is not as rich as he says he is," she went on. "Maybe he is not as
charitable as he claims to be," "Maybe he doesn't want the American
people to know that he has paid nothing in federal taxes."
Clinton pressed Trump on the issue, saying "There is something he is hiding."
Trump
replied that he would release his taxes when Clinton made public 33,000
emails that were deleted from her private email server. When Clinton
said that Trump had paid no federal income tax in some years, Trump
replied "That makes me smart."
Clinton
also set about Trump's business record, pointing out that he had called
himself "The King of Debt" and accusing him of "stiffing" thousand of
contractors who did work for his business.
When
the debate turned to racial issues and crime, Clinton said that it was
important for police to work together with local communities to restore
trust.
Trump accused Clinton of
refusing to say the phrase "law and order" and bemoaned the state of
inner cities. He said that African-Americans and Hispanics were "living
in hell."
"You walk down the street, you get shot," Trump said.
Clinton rebuked Trump for painting "such a dire picture" of black communities.
Campaign at a critical point
Trump
and Clinton are facing off with the campaign at a critical point, as
the race is a dead heat just 43 days before Election Day.
A CNN/ORC poll released Monday found
Trump edging Clinton 42% to 41% in the crucial battleground state of
Colorado among likely voters in a four-way race. In Pennsylvania,
another key state, the poll found Clinton in a virtual tie against Trump
among likely voters at 45% to 44%.
The
former secretary of state is relying on both states to help pave her
way to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.
Nationally, CNN's Poll of Polls finds Clinton and Trump neck-and-neck 44%-42%.
Debate prep
The rivals spent the day preparing for their big battle.
Clinton
participated in mock debates with her tart-tongued former aide Philippe
Reines playing Trump. In one practice debate, Reines assumed the
character of the unpredictable nominee by praising Clinton for her role
as a pioneer for women, campaign sources said.
Reines
even wore the kind of signature red tie that Trump favors and adopted
his characteristic hand gestures in a bid to fully prepare Clinton for
her unpredictable foe.
The
Republican nominee has watched videos of Clinton, but his preparation
has been less intense than his opponent's, in keeping with his more
freewheeling style. He did not hold mock debates, for instance, with
someone standing in for Clinton.
No comments:
Post a Comment