A barrage of attacks and counterattacks during the acrimonious and friction-filled town hall debate saw it ebb into an abrasive showdown soon after Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump attacked each other.
The Democratic and Republican candidates barely had a logical conversation throughout the 90-minute standoff over almost everything they uttered during the debate that began with a greeting sans handshake.
While Hillary Clinton declared Trump unfit for the White House job, Trump vowed to jail her if he is elected president of the United States. The two rather unpopular candidates ever to have entered the White House race, did little to repair the damage to American political fractures.
The debate in St.Louis, Missouri, on Sunday night, elicited few policy ideas from Trump, particularly on international issues including the ongoing massacres of civilians in Russian and Assad regime’s bombardment of rebel-held parts of Syria’s Aleppo city.
Clinton did present some ideas on countering Russian influence with a no-fly zone but fell short of laying out a specific plan of action to deal with the Syrian conflagration as a whole. At times, the former secretary of state sounded cautious on foreign policy issues.
Nevertheless, Clinton has maintained some key advantages over Trump as was apparent during the course of the debate like the Republican candidate’s blustering on domestic and international issues with no proper evidence or policy solutions. In contrast Clinton offered fact-checking reminders.
On the other hand, Clinton tried to have a more civilized and meaningful conversation in between berating exchange of condemnations – a contrast with constantly attacking Trump. Some evaluations immediately after the debate put Clinton ahead of Trump in terms of who was more successful or convincing.
Trump, who has become a pariah with some top Republicans after the latest revelation of his offensive remarks against women, seemed to have regained some lost ground with his followers. His survival moments came due partly to his consistent attacks on Clinton’s political baggage – from both Bill Clinton years and the Barrack Obama presidency. The issues he raised in the highly personal and polarized political climate ranged from trade to economy and energy.
The other reason for Trump’s partially comeback performance was Hillary Clinton’s letting him go off the hook on his disparaging talk against women and his bragging about sexual advances, after some initial questioning. Some analysts took it as a surprise that the Democratic candidate did not raise the issue forcefully at later stages during the debate in a way that would have unnerved Trump.
Zeroing in on Trump’s idea of barring Muslims from entering the United States, the moderators asked the real estate businessman if he had changed his stance on banning Muslims from entering the United States.
Trump replied it had “morphed” into a plan for “extreme vetting” of refugees.
“The Muslim ban is something that, in some form, has morphed into an extreme vetting from certain areas of the world,” Trump said, when asked if he had backed off the position.
“Would you please explain whether or not the Muslim ban still stands,” one of the moderators pointedly asked.
“It’s called extreme vetting,” Trump said, but did not say much more about how the vetting process would work – or how it would be different from the current methods used to screen immigrants.
Continuing his tirade against Muslims, Trump at one point did agree that Islamophobia existed, “and that’s a shame.”
In the same breath, he quickly stipulated that Muslims should do stuff, report on suspicious activities – a remark which a storm of reaction on the social media since, as cited by The Washington Post, American Muslims are already cooperating with intelligence and law enforcement organizations. Trump even tried to link violence with Islam.
“But one thing we have to do is we have to make sure that — because there is a problem. I mean, whether we like it or not, and we could be very politically correct, but whether we like it or not, there is a problem. And we have to be sure that Muslims come in and report when they see something going on. When they see hatred going on, they have to report it.
“As an example, in San Bernardino, many people saw the bombs all over the apartment of the two people that killed 14 and wounded many, many people. Horribly wounded. They’ll never be the same. Muslims have to report the problems when they see them.
“And, you know, there’s always a reason for everything. If they don’t do that, it’s a very difficult situation for our country, because you look at Orlando and you look at San Bernardino and you look at the World Trade Center. Go outside. Look at Paris. Look at that horrible — these are radical Islamic terrorists.
“And she won’t even mention the word and nor will President Obama. He won’t use the term “radical Islamic terrorism.” Now, to solve a problem, you have to be able to state what the problem is or at least say the name. She won’t say the name and President Obama won’t say the name. But the name is there. It’s radical Islamic terror. And before you solve it, you have to say the name.”
Clinton was quick to use the opportunity to take a swipe at his rival and rebuke his approach.
“My vision of America is an America where everyone has a place, if you’re willing to work hard, you do your part, you contribute to the community. That’s what America is. That’s what we want America to be for our children and our grandchildren.
“It’s also very short-sighted and even dangerous to be engaging in the kind of demagogic rhetoric that Donald has about Muslims. We need American Muslims to be part of our eyes and ears on our front lines. I’ve worked with a lot of different Muslim groups around America. I’ve met with a lot of them, and I’ve heard how important it is for them to feel that they are wanted and included and part of our country, part of our homeland security, and that’s what I want to see,” she added.
“It’s also important I intend to defeat ISIS, to do so in a coalition with majority Muslim nations. Right now, a lot of those nations are hearing what Donald says and wondering, why should we cooperate with the Americans? And this is a gift to ISIS and the terrorists, violent jihadist terrorists.”
“We are not at war with Islam,” Clinton declared categorically.
But, Trump was stubborn on many other issues.
Even on the issue of video detailing his salacious remarks against women he tried to seduce, Trump said he was embarrassed and had apologize but also dismissed it as “locker room talk.”
He went on to say that former president Bill Clinton had been worse toward women.
“Mine are words and his are action,” he said. He also accused Hillary Clinton of going on the attack against women who had alleged sexual misconduct by her husband.
Clinton argued that Trump’s comments were a proof that he was unfit for the White House job.
“He has said the video doesn’t represent who he is but I think it’s clear to anyone who heard it that it represents exactly who he is,” Clinton said.
Trump attacked Clinton over the emails issue stemming from her use of a private server. If elected, Trump said, he would appoint a special prosecutor to look into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
“I didn’t think I’d say this and I’m going to say it and I hate to say it. … If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation because there has never been so many lies, so much deception,” he said.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Clinton responded with an attack but did not retort in the same coin.
“You know it’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in this country.”
Again, Trump shot back: “Because you’d be in jail.”
Clinton insisted there was “no evidence” that her server had been hacked and that any classified information had ended up in the wrong hands. “I take classified material very seriously,” she said.
Will the debate have any bearing on the standing of the two candidates among American voters is the major questioin going forward.
