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Hillary Clinton Rips Donald Trump for Lauding Vladimir Putin Hillary Clinton Rips Donald Trump for Lauding Vladimir Putin
(about 5 hours later)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hillary Clinton excoriated Donald J. Trump on Thursday for asserting that the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, was a better leader than President Obama, saying Mr. Trump’s praise for the authoritarian leader of an adversarial power “is not just unpatriotic and insulting to the people of our country, as well as to our commander in chief, it is scary.”CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hillary Clinton excoriated Donald J. Trump on Thursday for asserting that the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, was a better leader than President Obama, saying Mr. Trump’s praise for the authoritarian leader of an adversarial power “is not just unpatriotic and insulting to the people of our country, as well as to our commander in chief, it is scary.”
Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, seized on Mr. Trump’s assertion in a televised forum Wednesday that Mr. Putin’s incursions into neighboring countries, crackdown on Russia’s independent press and support for America’s enemies were no less troublesome than Mr. Obama’s transgressions. She said it showed that if elected, her Republican rival would be little more than a tool of Mr. Putin. Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, seized on Mr. Trump’s assertion in a televised forum Wednesday that Mr. Putin’s incursions into neighboring countries, crackdown on Russia’s independent press and support for America’s enemies were no more troublesome than Mr. Obama’s transgressions. She said it showed that if elected, her Republican rival would be little more than a tool of Mr. Putin.
“It suggests he will let Putin do whatever Putin wants to do, and then make excuses for him,” Mrs. Clinton told reporters in New York on Thursday morning at the White Plains airport, ratcheting up her oratory as polls indicate the race has tightened — and as Mr. Trump continues to say things rarely heard before from a major party presidential nominee.“It suggests he will let Putin do whatever Putin wants to do, and then make excuses for him,” Mrs. Clinton told reporters in New York on Thursday morning at the White Plains airport, ratcheting up her oratory as polls indicate the race has tightened — and as Mr. Trump continues to say things rarely heard before from a major party presidential nominee.
In the Wednesday night forum on NBC and MSNBC, which was devoted to national security issues, Mr. Trump twice denigrated America’s generals, suggested he would fire the country’s current military leadership and claimed, without offering evidence, that the intelligence officials who recently gave him a classified briefing about threats to the United States were not pleased with Mr. Obama.In the Wednesday night forum on NBC and MSNBC, which was devoted to national security issues, Mr. Trump twice denigrated America’s generals, suggested he would fire the country’s current military leadership and claimed, without offering evidence, that the intelligence officials who recently gave him a classified briefing about threats to the United States were not pleased with Mr. Obama.
In a news conference before boarding her campaign plane, Mrs. Clinton appeared incredulous at times as she remarked upon Mr. Trump’s statements the night before, particularly about Mr. Putin.In a news conference before boarding her campaign plane, Mrs. Clinton appeared incredulous at times as she remarked upon Mr. Trump’s statements the night before, particularly about Mr. Putin.
In the forum, Mr. Trump said of Mr. Putin that he had been a leader “far more than our president.”In the forum, Mr. Trump said of Mr. Putin that he had been a leader “far more than our president.”
And after Matt Lauer, the NBC anchor who moderated the event, highlighted Mr. Putin’s record, Mr. Trump shot back, “But do you want me to start naming some of the things that President Obama does at the same time?”And after Matt Lauer, the NBC anchor who moderated the event, highlighted Mr. Putin’s record, Mr. Trump shot back, “But do you want me to start naming some of the things that President Obama does at the same time?”
In her news conference Thursday, Mrs. Clinton asked, “What would Ronald Reagan say about a Republican nominee who attacks American generals and heaps praise on Russia’s president?”In her news conference Thursday, Mrs. Clinton asked, “What would Ronald Reagan say about a Republican nominee who attacks American generals and heaps praise on Russia’s president?”
Mrs. Clinton was also withering in referring to Mr. Trump’s assertion that the United States made a mistake by not seizing oil fields in Iraq and Libya after invading the countries.Mrs. Clinton was also withering in referring to Mr. Trump’s assertion that the United States made a mistake by not seizing oil fields in Iraq and Libya after invading the countries.
“The United States of America does not invade other countries to plunder and pillage,” she said. “We don’t send our brave men and women around the world to steal oil. And that’s not even getting into the absurdity of what is involved.”“The United States of America does not invade other countries to plunder and pillage,” she said. “We don’t send our brave men and women around the world to steal oil. And that’s not even getting into the absurdity of what is involved.”
Mrs. Clinton, who had faced a barrage of questions in her half of the forum about her use of a private email server as secretary of state, also used the news conference to try to drive a wedge between Mr. Trump and the leadership of his party.Mrs. Clinton, who had faced a barrage of questions in her half of the forum about her use of a private email server as secretary of state, also used the news conference to try to drive a wedge between Mr. Trump and the leadership of his party.
“Every Republican holding or seeking office in this country should be asked if they agree with Donald Trump about these statements,” she said.“Every Republican holding or seeking office in this country should be asked if they agree with Donald Trump about these statements,” she said.
Mr. Trump’s extended defense of Mr. Putin represented a remarkable break from the traditional boundaries of political oratory and appalled many members of his own party.Mr. Trump’s extended defense of Mr. Putin represented a remarkable break from the traditional boundaries of political oratory and appalled many members of his own party.
“Vladimir Putin is an aggressor who does not share our interests,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters Thursday in Washington, accusing the Russian leader of “conducting state-sponsored cyberattacks” on “our political system.”“Vladimir Putin is an aggressor who does not share our interests,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters Thursday in Washington, accusing the Russian leader of “conducting state-sponsored cyberattacks” on “our political system.”
He was referring to the hack of the servers of the Democratic National Committee, which American officials believe was conducted by Russian intelligence services. At the NBC forum, Mr. Trump disputed Russia’s guilt, telling Mr. Lauer the culprits were not definitively known.He was referring to the hack of the servers of the Democratic National Committee, which American officials believe was conducted by Russian intelligence services. At the NBC forum, Mr. Trump disputed Russia’s guilt, telling Mr. Lauer the culprits were not definitively known.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump and his campaign showed no indication of regret.On Thursday, Mr. Trump and his campaign showed no indication of regret.
His aides did not reply to an email asking if the campaign wanted to clarify the candidate’s comments about Mr. Putin.His aides did not reply to an email asking if the campaign wanted to clarify the candidate’s comments about Mr. Putin.
“These are the desperate attacks of a flailing campaign sinking in the polls, and characteristics of someone woefully unfit for the presidency of the United States,” Jason Miller, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, said in a statement issued after Mrs. Clinton’s remarks Thursday.“These are the desperate attacks of a flailing campaign sinking in the polls, and characteristics of someone woefully unfit for the presidency of the United States,” Jason Miller, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, said in a statement issued after Mrs. Clinton’s remarks Thursday.
Mr. Trump himself appeared mostly focused on the media coverage of the forum.Mr. Trump himself appeared mostly focused on the media coverage of the forum.
“Wow, reviews are in — THANK YOU!” he wrote on Twitter.“Wow, reviews are in — THANK YOU!” he wrote on Twitter.
With nine weeks until the election, a recent CNN/ORC poll showed Mr. Trump has gained ground against Mrs. Clinton, leading by two percentage points nationally among likely voters. Mr. Trump held a 51 percent-to-45 percent edge over Mrs. Clinton when voters were asked which candidate they trusted more to handle terrorism, though Mrs. Clinton held a solid lead when voters were asked which they trusted more on foreign policy.With nine weeks until the election, a recent CNN/ORC poll showed Mr. Trump has gained ground against Mrs. Clinton, leading by two percentage points nationally among likely voters. Mr. Trump held a 51 percent-to-45 percent edge over Mrs. Clinton when voters were asked which candidate they trusted more to handle terrorism, though Mrs. Clinton held a solid lead when voters were asked which they trusted more on foreign policy.
After spending much of August fund-raising, Mrs. Clinton’s events and comments this week have largely been focused on national security. On Thursday, she recalled being a senator from New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, an experience she said had informed her thinking a decade later, when she was in the White House Situation Room with President Obama during the raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.After spending much of August fund-raising, Mrs. Clinton’s events and comments this week have largely been focused on national security. On Thursday, she recalled being a senator from New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, an experience she said had informed her thinking a decade later, when she was in the White House Situation Room with President Obama during the raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.
Mrs. Clinton said she would convene a bipartisan group of national security and counterterrorism experts on Friday, including the former homeland security secretaries Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano, and David Petraeus, the former C.I.A. director, to discuss the fight against the Islamic State.Mrs. Clinton said she would convene a bipartisan group of national security and counterterrorism experts on Friday, including the former homeland security secretaries Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano, and David Petraeus, the former C.I.A. director, to discuss the fight against the Islamic State.
She also repeated an assertion she made on Israeli television earlier Thursday morning, that the Islamic State hopes Mr. Trump will win in November because it would stoke outrage among Muslims, weaken the United States and strengthen its movement.She also repeated an assertion she made on Israeli television earlier Thursday morning, that the Islamic State hopes Mr. Trump will win in November because it would stoke outrage among Muslims, weaken the United States and strengthen its movement.
“They hope that Allah delivers America to Donald Trump,” she said, citing a Time magazine article by Matthew G. Olsen, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.“They hope that Allah delivers America to Donald Trump,” she said, citing a Time magazine article by Matthew G. Olsen, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
After the news conference, Mrs. Clinton flew to North Carolina , for a rally to register African-American voters — where she seized the chance to again assail Mr. Trump’s comments denigrating Mr. Obama.After the news conference, Mrs. Clinton flew to North Carolina , for a rally to register African-American voters — where she seized the chance to again assail Mr. Trump’s comments denigrating Mr. Obama.
“He prefers the Russian president to our president,” Mrs. Clinton said of her opponent, drawing jeers from the crowd at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.“He prefers the Russian president to our president,” Mrs. Clinton said of her opponent, drawing jeers from the crowd at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.
“Everything is a game. It’s like he’s living in his own celebrity reality TV program,” she said. “You know what, Donald, this is real reality.”“Everything is a game. It’s like he’s living in his own celebrity reality TV program,” she said. “You know what, Donald, this is real reality.”
Mrs. Clinton’s aides said she would strive in the weeks ahead to present her own vision, not just prosecute the case against Mr. Trump, among other things with a series of speeches on her plans to spur economic growth and lift incomes. But she still faces scrutiny over her handling of classified information at the State Department, not to mention Mr. Trump’s unremitting attacks, a fact to which Mrs. Clinton sounded resigned on Thursday.Mrs. Clinton’s aides said she would strive in the weeks ahead to present her own vision, not just prosecute the case against Mr. Trump, among other things with a series of speeches on her plans to spur economic growth and lift incomes. But she still faces scrutiny over her handling of classified information at the State Department, not to mention Mr. Trump’s unremitting attacks, a fact to which Mrs. Clinton sounded resigned on Thursday.
“I know he says outrageous things on a pretty regular basis, and I know that’s part of the coverage,” she said in White Plains. “I’m not asking for any special treatment. I know the road that I’m on. I’ve been on it for 25 years.”“I know he says outrageous things on a pretty regular basis, and I know that’s part of the coverage,” she said in White Plains. “I’m not asking for any special treatment. I know the road that I’m on. I’ve been on it for 25 years.”