Hillary enlists grieving dad
Clinton attacks Trump in seven key states as a Russian request to monitor the Election Day vote is denied.
Hillary Clinton has ramped up her pressure on Donald Trump in the United States presidential election’s most competitive states with an emotional TV advertisement targeting his criticism of a MuslimAmerican family.
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to go all out in the final three weeks so he’ll have no regrets – even if he loses.
The nominees retrenched behind familiar arguments yesterday, after appearing together at a charity event that veered into cutting personal attacks.
Clinton’s new ad features Khizr Khan, whom Trump assailed after Khan spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
In the minute-long ad, which Clinton’s campaign said was airing in seven battleground states, Khan retells how his son, US Army Captain Humayun Khan, died in Iraq while trying to protect his unit from a suicide bomber.
‘‘Mr Trump, would my son have a place in your America?’’ the father asks, tearing up as the ad fades to black.
Trump yesterday focused some of his criticism on Michelle Obama, who has emerged as one of the most effective voices for Clinton. The US first lady for years has been reluctant to devote significant time to campaigning, but has done so in recent days with searing indictments of Trump’s treatment of women.
‘‘All she wants to do is campaign,’’ Trump said as he rallied supporters in North Carolina.
He cited comments Obama made during her husband Barack’s 2008 campaign, in which she said someone who can’t run their own house can’t run the White House. ‘‘She’s the one that started that,’’ Trump said.
Trump was unusually candid about the possibility of losing the election, a prospect that has grown in likelihood as Clinton solidifies her lead in battleground states that will decide the election.
Trump said he was packing his schedule with campaign events between now an Election Day so he would know he had spared no effort, even if he was ultimately unsuccessful.
‘‘I will be happy with myself,’’ he said.
Trump and Clinton were still sharply at odds over his unprecedented assertion in the final candidates’ debate on Thursday that he may not concede if he loses.
Clinton said yesterday at a campaign stop in Cleveland, Ohio: ‘‘Make no mistake – by doing that, he is threatening our democracy.’’ She said that America knows ‘‘the difference between leadership and dictatorship’’.
Trump has said he is merely reserving the right to contest the results if the outcome is unclear or questionable.
Underpinning his threat is his contention – presented with no evidence – that the election is ‘‘rigged’’ against him and may be soiled by widespread voter fraud. He has urged his supporters to ‘‘monitor’’ polling places for potential shenanigans.
Fanning those flames, Russia’s government has asked Oklahoma and two other states to allow Russian officials to be present at polling stations on Election Day, to study the ‘‘US experience in organisation of voting process’’.
Allegations by the US government that Russia is trying to influence the election by hacking Democratic groups has fed a Clinton camp claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin is siding with Trump.
The Oklahoma secretary of state’s office said yesterday it had denied the Russian request, in line with state law.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said it was unclear what Moscow was trying to do.
Early voting is under way in more than 30 states.
Clinton, reaching out to voters who may be reconsidering their support for Trump, said in Ohio that she knew they still had questions about her. ‘‘I want to answer them,’’ she said. ‘‘I want to earn your vote.’’