The shift comes as opinion polls tighten between Clinton, the former secretary of state and US senator, and Trump, a NY businessman, ahead of the November 8 election.
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“I find it frustrating”, she said.
Wednesday’s forum served as a preview of sorts for Clinton and Trump’s highly-anticipated presidential debates.
Hillary Clinton blasted Donald Trump on Thursday (Friday NZ Time) for his condemnation of American military generals and his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying her Republican opponent had “failed” at proving he can be commander in chief. When Lauer introduced a question about how the Republican nominee is boning up on issues, he told Trump, “nobody would expect you” to have delved deeply into foreign policy.
On Wednesday, Pence admitted that he believed President Obama was born in the USA – a stark contrast to the years of refusals by the GOP nominee to do so, while last month the in governor “strongly” endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in his reelection bid, just a day after Trump refused to do so.
Whenever it really matters, it seems, Donald Trump manages to just barely clear the bar. At the forum, he said the best way to address sexual assault inside the armed services would be to “set up a court system within the military” – something that has existed since the Revolutionary War.
Clinton has focussed many of her public remarks on criticism of Trump, including his provocative comments on illegal immigrants, Muslims and women.
But the Clinton campaign acknowledged she had to spend more time focussing her remarks on herself so voters could see the “aspirational” vision she hopes to enact if she becomes the first woman elected USA president.
Clinton’s supporters are more confident in her ability to navigate the upcoming debates than Trump backers are of his expected performance – 91 percent of Clinton supporters expect her to outperform Trump, compared to 78 percent of Trump supporters who say he will deliver a sharper performance. Even some Clinton supporters will admit that she has mishandled – and often completely avoided – questions about her email and her family’s charitable foundation, fueling scrutiny of both. She reiterated that she had made mistakes in relying on a personal email account and private server as secretary of state and in voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a senator.
North Carolina, which 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney won four years ago and has been carried by Republicans in eight out of the last 10 presidential elections, appears to be a virtual tossup at this point. He said Putin “has done so in many ways, in a very ruthless manner”. “And I could see myself working that out”.
Overall, Clinton and her allies are trying to make the election a referendum on Trump.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said he agreed with Trump’s assessment.
Pence on Thursday clarified that Trump was not advocating for a dictatorship like Putin’s.
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“That’s her campaign”, Kristol said.
