Hempstead, NY – Trump On The Defensive After Combative Debate With Clinton

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    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton are introduced during the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)Hempstead, NY – Donald Trump blamed the moderator, a bad microphone and anyone but himself Tuesday after he was forced onto the defense by Hillary Clinton’s cascade of attacks about his taxes, honesty and character in the first presidential debate.

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    Trump tried aggressively to pin America’s problems on Clinton at Monday night’s debate. But Clinton, showing her intensive preparations, went after him as hard or harder, including sharp criticism of his business practices and crude comments about women.

    She also attacked his false assertions about President Barack Obama’s birthplace, calling it part of a pattern of “racist behavior.” And she repeatedly criticized for breaking tradition by refusing to release his tax returns, declaring, “There’s something he’s hiding.”

    Still, Trump insisted on Tuesday he’d gotten the better of Clinton, awarding her a C-plus while declining to assign himself a grade. Unsurprisingly, Clinton’s aides and running mate took to television to argue she’d accomplished precisely what she’d set out to do.

    Both campaigns knew the highly anticipated first debate could mark a turning point six weeks before Election Day, but it was unclear if either candidate would reap significant gains. Trump and Clinton are locked in an exceedingly close race and competing vigorously to win over undecided voters.

    Clinton’s preferred tactic — provoking Trump with jabs aimed at rattling him — continued to pay dividends the day after the debate. After brushing off Clinton’s claim that he’d once shamed a former Miss Universe winner for her weight, Trump on Tuesday dug deeper.

    “She gained a massive amount of weight. It was a real problem. We had a real problem,” Trump told “Fox and Friends” about the 1996 winner of the pageant he once owned.

    Though he said on Twitter he had “really enjoyed” the debate, he accused moderator Lester Holt of a left-leaning performance and going harder on him than Clinton. He insisted he had “no sniffles” and no allergies despite the #snifflegate speculation that had exploded on social media.

    And in one of the more bizarre moments in presidential debate history, he floated the theory that organizers had intentionally set his “terrible” microphone to a lower volume than Clinton’s.

    “I wonder whether that wasn’t set up that way on purpose,” Trump said. “I don’t want to believe in conspiracy theories, but it was much lower than hers.”

    With precious few weeks left to campaign, both candidates returned promptly to the trail, with Clinton campaigning Tuesday in North Carolina and Trump in Florida. Those are among a handful of toss-up states whose winners could help determine the outcome of the election. Obama and Trump are slated to face each again on Oct. 9 during the second debate, in St. Louis.

    The debate was confrontational from the start, with Trump frequently trying to interrupt Clinton and speaking over her answers. Clinton was more measured and restrained, often smiling through his answers, well-aware of the television cameras capturing her reaction.

    “Hillary told the truth and Donald told some whoppers,” Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine, told ABC News.

    Trump has said he can’t release his tax returns because he is being audited, though tax experts have said an audit is no barrier to making the information public. When Clinton suggested his refusal might be because he possibly paid nothing in federal taxes, he interrupted to say, “That makes me smart.”

    Trump’s criticism of Clinton turned personal in the debate’s closing moments. He said, “She doesn’t have the look, she doesn’t have the stamina” to be president. He’s made similar comments in previous events, sparking outrage from Clinton backers who accused him of a sexist attack on the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.

    The centerpiece of Trump’s case against Clinton is that the former senator and secretary of state is little more than a career politician who has squandered opportunities to address the domestic and international problems she’s now pledging to tackle as president.

    “She’s got experience,” he said, “but it’s bad experience.”

    When Trump made a crack about Clinton taking time off the campaign trail to prepare for the debate, she turned it into a validation of her readiness for the White House.

    “I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate,” Clinton said. “And, yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that’s a good thing.”


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    16 Comments
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    7 years ago

    I have a suggestion. I want the Trump campaign to choose the next moderator. I reviewed the debate, and the moderator was totally slanted against Trump. Some found Holt to be a “third debater”. He challenged Trump, never Hillary. You can’t win when the referee is siding with the other side. Balance was nowhere to be seen.

    Doing that Holt did should be either illegal or at least in violation of standards for debates.

    7 years ago

    Nothing new here, the press and Lester holt are so in the tank for Hillary, it’s a joke. Holt asked Trump about his taxes, the birther issue, his support of the Iraq war, and saying Hillary doesn’t have the look to be president. What exactly did he ask Hillary about her issues? Nothing! Nothing on Benghazi, the Clinton foundation, her health, her lies, etc. what a crock,

    kenyaninwhitehouse
    kenyaninwhitehouse
    7 years ago

    the mainstream media as always helping the Democrats. Trump all the way.

    7 years ago

    The moderator was totally biased and unfair. here are facts not opinons about Holt.
    1) When the crowd cheered for Trump, Holt turned to them and said no cheering. But when they cheered for Hilary not a peep from his mouth
    2) Hilary got to respond to Trump’s responses but Trump never got a trun to counter respond to Hilary.
    3) The moderator attacked and fact checked Trump but never Hilary.

    Just listen yourself and see.

    54321
    54321
    7 years ago

    Trump should’ve trounced her, no-one in politics has more dirt then her.

    hashomer
    hashomer
    7 years ago

    So strongman Trump is now the victim? Holt (the republican), the microphone, the media, the audience all ganged up against him. But his worst enemy last night was his usual ugly self, rude, unprepared, bragging how he doesn’t pay taxes, how he insults women, how he’s a birther racist. Feh.

    puppydogs
    puppydogs
    7 years ago

    Holt works for MSNBC, the most liberal station out there, do I need a say more?

    7 years ago

    Holt was afraid of getting the same flak from his fellow liberal media colleagues that Matt Lauer got when he dared ask HilLIARy a couple of real questions about her scandals during the last event. So he made up for it by only challenging Trump, while completely ignoring all Hillary’s crimes, scandals and lies (Benghazi, Clinton Foundation pay for play, private email server, intimidating Bill’s rape victims, her bad health, etc)

    ayinglefunadorf
    ayinglefunadorf
    7 years ago

    He admitted not paying Taxes. He thinks he is smart. The guys from Wili taught they were smart too. Time will tell

    7 years ago

    is anyone really suprised that the press is ktryong to paint Trump as the debates loser?

    7 years ago

    Has anyone here seen the video documentation of the hand signals that Hillary sent to Holt? It is amazing! She had certain canned statements to make, and needed to be prompted with certain questions from the moderator. The guy literally cut off Trump to give her the opportunity to talk. The entire debate was a sham. This only strengthens my commitment to vote against her. Shame on her lying, dishonest campaign.