She later added, “Hillary, placing people in ‘baskets, ‘ slandering them but admitting after 8 yrs, they are “desperate for change”.
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During a Friday night fundraiser in NY, the Democratic presidential nominee said that “half” of Trump’s supporters can be placed in a “basket of deplorables”, meaning that they are racist, homophobic or xenophobic. “Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic – you name it”. And unfortunately, there are people like that and he has lifted them up.
He added that millions of Americans support the Republican nominee because, “they are sick of corrupt career politicians like Hillary Clinton”.
And in the weeks since it became clear that he would be the Republican nominee, Trump has turned some of that venom on “crooked Hillary”.
A Donald Trump presidency “will stand for the sanctity of life and defend the unborn, from the first day we take office”, Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence vowed to a meeting of conservative faith-based voters Saturday.
There was even a mock account called “Hillary’s Basket”, with the handle @TheDeplorables, deriding the former first lady and USA senator. She added: “Now some of those folks, they are irredeemable. I regret saying “half” – that was wrong”.
Republican strategist Ana Navarro, who has been highly critical of Trump, said Clinton might have crossed an important line. “I also meant what I said last night about empathy, and the very real challenges we face as a country where so many people have been left out and left behind”, the statement said.
Republican Donald Trump is condemning Hillary Clinton’s remark that half of his supporters could be put in a “basket of deplorables” and dismissing her admission she was wrong, saying the Democrat had committed “the worst mistake of the political season”.
Trump’s campaign seized on the remarks, saying they were condescending to the Americans who supported Trump.
Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill sought to clarify the former secretary of state’s remarks.
Clinton stressed the rest of Trump’s supporters feel let down by the government and economy.
But some Twitter users agreed with Clinton, referencing remarks by Trump that have been called racist, such as when he described some Mexican immigrants drug dealers and rapists. “How can she be President of our country when she has such contempt and disdain for so many great Americans?”
And Trump himself tweeted: “Wow, Hillary Clinton was SO INSULTING to my supporters, millions of wonderful, hard working people”.
Trump, 70, fired back by calling her comments “INSULTING” on Twitter, then issuing an angry statement.
Meanwhile, Trump’s camp lost no time in making the most of the attention on Clinton’s comments.
Mrs Clinton’s fund-raisers have typically been closed to the press but a pool of journalists was permitted to hear her remarks.
Clinton has made similar comments in the past.
But Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill downplayed the former secretary of state’s comments, tweeting that she was referring exclusively to “alt right” supporters.
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She’s often pointed to Trump’s courtship with the alt-right, a group known for its opposition to feminism, immigration and multiculturalism. “That may be one conversion therapy I’d endorse”, Clinton joked. Merrill argued that “alt-right” leaders are supporting Trump and “their supporters appear to make up half his crowd when you observe the tone of his events”.
