Hillary puts Trump on defensive
Democrat declared clear winner; rivals scrap on race, terror
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battled it out in front of millions of undecided American voters over racism, terror and temperament in their first presidential debate on Monday night, with the media declaring the Democratic nominee as the winner of the fiery contest.
The 90- minute clash, watched by an expected television audience of up to 100 million, saw the 68year- old former secretary of state and the 70- year- old Republican nominee, who have attacked each other for months in separate campaigns, taking the stage together here for the first time to woo a substantial chunk of voters who remain undecided ahead of the November 8 polls.
The CNN/ ORC poll declared Ms Clinton as the clear winner in the first of a series of three debates, with a massive 62 per cent of voters giving an edge to the Democrat over the reality TV star, who was deemed winner by only 27 per cent.
The two candidates indulged in a series of combative, acrimonious exchanges as the battle turned personal, with the controversial real estate mogul being questioning the “stamina” of the former secretary of state after her recent bout of pneumonia.
Ms Clinton was seen smiling through the insults and landed jabs of her own to put Mr Trump on the defensive over his temperament, refusal to release his taxes and his past comments on race and women in the debate that set netizens talking about the showdown in huge numbers.
Mr Trump said he will release his tax returns if Ms Clinton releases her 33,000 emails deleted by her from the period when she was the secretary of state in the first term of the Obama administration. “As soon as she releases them, I will release,” he said when being grilled for not releasing his tax returns.
Hempstead ( United States), Sept. 27: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump strode out cloaked in icy politeness. Yet within minutes their debate degenerated into bickering, insults and diatribes — a gladiatorial contest of modern times.
It was a 90- minute battle of endurance between two of the most famous people in America: Ms Clinton, cool, calm and collected, almost serene as she smiled through the insults — and landed jabs of her own — while Mr Trump gripped his podium, insisting he alone had the temperament to be commander- in- chief.
The Democrat Clinton projected steady experience. She proved her worth as the mistress of policy minutiae, pitching herself as the voice of reason, the former secretary of state who understands the world.
Mr Trump played the populist bruiser, wielding the cutting insult and pitching to frustrated voters in the swing- state rust- belt, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, fed up with politicians and wanting change.
Both elicited laughter and cheers: Ms Clinton for lofty comebacks.
Mr Trump for his quick digs but also for his outlandish claims. Yet if they were evenly matched at first, Mr Trump appeared to get more irritated and riled, at one point rolling his eyes, trashing her stamina and emitting an frustrated “ugh”.
“Donald, it’s good to be with you,” said Ms Clinton as the cameras panned to the weakest of smiles in response from the Manhattan billionaire. Yet in minutes, Ms Clinton took the first thinly veiled swipe, jabbing
her opponent over taking a handout from his wealthy father before they came to blows over the economy, race, foreign policy and temperament.
It was sometimes less two Presidential candidates slogging it out for the most powerful elected office and more toddlers bickering in the nursery.
“Donald thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese,” said Ms Clinton. “I do not, I do not,” he protested. “Donald, I know you live in your own reality,” swiped Ms Clinton. “Secretary — you have no plan,” hectored Mr Trump. The debate ended with a question over whether each would accept the outcome of the election. “If she wins, I will absolutely support her,” said Mr Trump.