Evening Standard

Clinton: You can’t trust Trump with nukes

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HILLARY CLINTON declared that America was at “a moment of reckoning” as she attacked the scare-mongering of White House rival Donald Trump and claimed he should never be trusted with the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

“Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis,” she said of the outspoken property billionair­e. “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

As she made history as the first woman to accept a major US party’s nomination for president, Mrs Clinton warned the Democratic National Convention in Philadelph­ia that the nation was at a perilous crossroads.

“Powerful forces are threatenin­g to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying and just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us,” she said. “We have to decide whether we all will work together so that we can all rise together.”

The former First Lady, 68, urged voters to unite against Mr Trump’s vision of a world in fear .“He’ s taken the Republican Party a long way, from ‘Morning in America’ to midnight in America,” she said. “He wants us to fear the future and fear each other. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other.”

Focusing on her 20-year political career and her integral role building the Clinton dynasty, she spoke fondly of husband Bill and daughter Chelsea, who introduced her keynote speech that closed the convention.

She even touched on the most embarrassi­ng and personal aspects of her public life, including the “hard times” that tested her relationsh­ip with the former president who infamously cheated on her with intern Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office. In a rare moment of humility, Mrs Clinton accepted that “some people just don’t know what to make of me”. However, she insisted her experience and attention to policy and detail would make her a much more substantia­l president than her fire-from-the-hip opponent.

“Because it’s not just a detail if it’s your kid, if it’s your family,” she said, “It’s a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president.”

To cheers, she acknowledg­ed the history she was making as she embarked on the three-month face-off to become America’ s first female president, decades after women rose to the top in many other countries.

“Tonight, we’ve reached a milestone in our nation’s march toward a more perfect union. Standing here as my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has come,” she said, beaming. “Happy for grandmothe­r sand little girls and everyone in between.”

There were some scattered boos from Bernie Sanders’ supporters in the hall but the 55-minute speech was largely enthusiast­ically received. Singer Katy Perry sang new single Rise and signature Roar and urged people to get out and vote. The night ended with a cascade of red, white and blue balloons.

 ??  ?? Dynasty: Hillary Clinton was introduced by daughter Chelsea and, right, being embraced by husband Bill. Inset, singer Carole King on stage
Dynasty: Hillary Clinton was introduced by daughter Chelsea and, right, being embraced by husband Bill. Inset, singer Carole King on stage
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 ??  ?? Having a ball: ex-president Bill Clinton kicks a balloon and, inset, Katy Perry
Having a ball: ex-president Bill Clinton kicks a balloon and, inset, Katy Perry

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