Presidential debate
Poll and experts suggest she is winner of first presidential debate — a battle of endurance
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (left) and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton face off in their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Monday.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton jumped back onto the campaigntrailonTuesdayafter a bitter first head-to-head debate in which Clinton frequently forced her prickly opponent on to the back foot.
The White House hopefuls sparred over temperament, stamina, judgment, and other issues in a televised matchup on Monday night that seemed to have gone in favor of the Democrat Clinton.
InasnapCNNpollof521voters, 62 percent judged that Clinton had won the debate against 27 percent for Trump, withmostmainstreampolitical analysts agreeing Clinton was the stronger performer.
But in a campaign that has consistently defied predictions from the political establishment, few can forecast for sure the impact on how the United States will vote on Nov 8.
Nate Silver, an election analyst, predicted a 2-4 percent bump in support for Clinton.
With six weeks until election day, Clinton was scheduled to rally in battleground North Carolina on Tuesday, while Trumpwastospeaktosupporters in the swing state of Florida.
During the debate at New York’s Hofstra University, with an anticipated audience of up to 100 million, Clinton repeatedly questioned her rival’s fitness to serve in the Oval Office.
She painted the celebrity real estate mogul as fatally out of touch and willing to say “crazy things” to get elected.
“Youliveinyourownreality,” said the 68-year-old Democrat.
Thepopulistbruiser
Trump, 70, played the populist bruiser, pitching to frustrated blue-collar voters fed up with establishment politicians.
“Let me tell you, Hillary has experience. But it’s bad, bad experience,” said the billionaire, accusing the former secretary of state, first lady and US senator of being a “typical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn’t work”.
As the temperature rose, Trump brought out the verbal brickbats, repeatedly interrupting Clinton and even questioning her stamina after a bout of pneumonia. He appeared increasingly irritated, at one point rolling his eyes and emitting a frustrated “ugh.”
Steffen Schmidt, a professor at Iowa State University, praised Clinton’s performance.
However, he said, “Trump more than held his own with an informal and often unorganized ‘speech salad’ where he mixed things in odd ways but often with humor, and cleverly”.