Clinton Warns Trump ‘Crossed The Line’ With Gun Comment

AFP

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday sternly warned her Republican presidential rival Donald Trump about his “casual inciting” of violence, saying his startling remarks suggesting gun rights supporters could act against her “crossed the line.”

It was the Democratic nominee’s most forceful denunciation after Trump caused a firestorm by suggesting to supporters in North Carolina on Tuesday that “Second Amendment people” — those who support gun rights — could take action to stop Clinton from appointing US Supreme Court justices as president.

“Yesterday we witnessed the latest in a long line of casual comments by Donald Trump that crossed the line,” Clinton told a rally in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Words matter, my friends. And if you are running to be president, or you are president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences.”

Trump and his campaign had quickly sought to douse the flames, insisting the Republican flagbearer was merely urging gun rights supporters to reject her candidacy at the ballot box.

Clinton appeared to reject the Trump campaign’s defense, warning of the dangers of reckless language during a presidential race.

She slammed Trump’s “casual cruelty to a gold star family,” referring to the billionaire’s clash with the parents of a Muslim American soldier who was killed in action.

“His casual suggestion that more countries should have nuclear weapons, and now his casual inciting of violence,” she added.

“Every single one of these incidents shows us that Donald Trump simply does not have the temperament to be president and commander in chief of the United States.”

With Team Trump seeking to dig the candidate out of a deepening hole, former New York mayor and Trump backer Rudy Giuliani insisted the uproar was triggered by “the Clinton spin machine.”

But the Secret Service, tasked with protecting the president and presidential nominees, was taking Trump’s remarks seriously and has spoken with Trump’s campaign about them, CNN reported.

In an unnerving example of campaign security tensions, an animal rights activist appeared to rush the stage as Clinton spoke Wednesday, but was tackled and removed by security.

Secret Service agents jumped up to protect the candidate, then retreated after the protester was escorted out.

– ‘UNDER SIEGE’ –

Clinton meanwhile launched an open appeal Wednesday to independents and Republicans repulsed by Trump over his string of controversial statements.

The campaign unveiled a new website, togetherforamerica.com, that lists dozens of Republicans and independents who back Clinton, including former director of national intelligence John Negroponte and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“Regardless of party, voters are increasingly concerned that Trump’s tendency to bully, demean and degrade others sends the wrong message to our children,” Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in announcing the effort.

Lawmakers, former national security officials and other critics expressed concern that Trump had advocated violence, possibly in jest, against Clinton or her Supreme Court nominees.

“If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,” Trump, 70, said Tuesday. “Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.”

Trump on Wednesday steered clear of the controversy at a Virginia rally, although he reiterated that the Second Amendment remained “under siege.”

Trump has suffered what critics insist is a long string of missteps that have marred his campaign since he officially won the nomination last month, prompting several Republicans to reject his candidacy.

He has clearly roiled the party with his unorthodox remarks, with some Republicans frustrated at his apparent inability to stay on message.

A Reuters/IPSOS poll Wednesday found that 19 percent of Republican voters want the real estate tycoon to drop out of the race, while 70 percent think he should stay and 10 percent say they don’t know.

The RealClearPolitics national poll average shows Clinton leading Trump by 48 percent to 40 percent.

Fifty prominent Republican national security experts announced in an open letter this week they would not vote for Trump, saying he “lacks the character, values and experience” to be president.
Six GOP senators including Susan Collins and a number of House Republicans have disowned him too.

– EMAILS, AGAIN –

Meanwhile, Clinton was enduring a fresh round of criticism over her emails from her time as secretary of state, which have been a thorn in her side and hurt her trustworthiness among voters.

Conservative watchdog Judicial Watch released a batch of emails that raise questions about the State Department’s relationship with the Clinton Foundation.

The Trump campaign seized on the latest emails to blast Clinton as “corrupt,” with critics saying the messages showed the foundation sought improper preferential treatment from the department.

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US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: We’re Going To Stop Migrants From Coming To The US – Trump

In one of the most divisive US campaigns in modern history, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump traded insults at opposite ends of the country yesterday, taking their fight for the White House to rival battleground states and portraying starkly different visions of America.

Clinton followed her historic acceptance speech on Thursday as the first woman presidential nominee for a major party with a rally in Philadelphia before embarking on a bus tour of Rust Belt states Pennsylvania and Ohio.

In Colorado, a key western state, her Republican opponent promised "no more Mr Nice Guy." He trashed Clinton's speech as "average," called her a liar and promised to end the migration of Syrian refugees.

"I'm starting to agree with you," the 70-year-old told supporters chanting "lock her up, lock her up" in Colorado Springs. "I'm taking the gloves off," he said. "Just remember this Trump is going to be no more Mr Nice Guy."

"I can't think of an election that is more important, certainly in my lifetime," Clinton told supporters at the rally in Philadelphia.

"Donald Trump painted a picture, a negative, dark, divisive picture of a country in decline," she said.

"I'm not telling you that everything is peachy keen -- I'm telling you we've made progress, but we have work to do."

She promises to focus on parts of the country that have been "left out and left behind" -- constituencies where declining living standards, fears about safety and lost jobs have fueled support for Trump.

Trump, who has never previously held office, portrays himself as the law and order candidate -- the outsider who will shake up an out-of-touch Washington, restore jobs, cut the deficit and end illegal immigration.

"This country, if they choose her, this country will not be in good shape," Trump told ABC News on Friday.

"She doesn't know how to win, she's not a winner," he said in an excerpt of the interview set to air Sunday.

"We're going to stop the Syrian migrants from coming into the United States," he said referring to the killing of a French priest, whose attackers proclaimed allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group.

Trump's campaign released a new ad Friday claiming that in Clinton's America "things get worse" with taxes going up, terrorism spreading and voters losing jobs, homes and hope.
"Change that makes America great again," the video promised.

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Analysis: Clinton's Speech Carries Weight Of History

In becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party, Hillary Clinton’s task Thursday night was not just to claim the Democratic nomination but to serve as a vessel for American women during a monumental moment in their history.

She and a parade of speakers before her did it by keeping the emphasis on its significance for future generations. "I'm so happy this day has come," she said. "When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone," said Clinton.

Her address came on the heels of a rousing speech by President Obama Wednesday night, and the challenges were clear. They boiled down to how effectively she could make a closing argument to American voters after four days devoted to combating questions about her trustworthiness.

In addition to stressing the need for "steady leadership," Clinton shared more about her personal history. “Some people just don’t know what to make of me,” she said, before explaining how she grew up, describing her grandfather who worked in a Scranton lace mill and her mother, Dorothy, who was abandoned by her parents and ended up working as a house maid at age 14.

She also stressed the importance of her Methodist faith, as well as her early work going door-to-door on behalf of children with disabilities in Massachusetts.

"No one gets through life alone. We have to look out for each other and lift each other up," she said.

From India’s Indira Gandhi to Germany’s Angela Merkel, many other nations have elevated women to their highest office. Yet the United States has been slow to do the same, with Clinton’s nomination coming 100 years after Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is among those who blazed the trail for Clinton as the first female House speaker, called the moment "transformational” because of the nation's status as the world's leading superpower. While “we are admiring” of other global female leaders, “there’s nothing to compare it with,” said Pelosi, a California congresswoman, of the moment when Clinton accepted the nomination.

The program Thursday night also aimed to paint a portrait of a devoted daughter, mother and grandmother.

Chelsea Clinton gave a highly personal account of Clinton as a mother, saying “every single memory I have of my mom is that, regardless of what was happening in her life, she was always, always there for me.”

Hillary Clinton sought to demonstrate that her passion for issues — like helping children and people with disabilities — can be traced from her earliest days of adulthood to her current bid for the presidency.

“It’s a culmination of her work over a lifetime," said campaign manager Robby Mook.

Clinton also cast herself as a unifying figure while drawing a contrast with Donald Trump on temperament and even suggesting he's a danger to national security. “Don’t believe anyone who says ‘I alone can fix it,’” she said.

"A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," said Clinton, citing former President John Kennedy's concerns that "a war might be started – not by big men with self-control and restraint, but by little men – the ones moved by fear and pride."

Given her historically low levels of support from white men, the former secretary of State is counting on a huge gender advantage with women, including with younger females and some moderate Republicans.

 

USAToday

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Clinton Picks Tim Kaine, Sturdy Senator, For Running Mate

Hillary Clinton yesterday picked Tim Kaine, a popular Spanish-speaking senator from the swing state of Virginia, to be her running mate in the White House showdown against Donald Trump, this comes three days before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where herself and now Kaine will be elevated as the nominees to the party's presidential ticket.

"I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @timkaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H," the former secretary of state tweeted.

She described him as "a relentless optimist who believes no problem is unsolvable if you put in the work to solve it" saying his guiding principle was "the belief that you can make a difference through public service."

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HILLARY CLINTON REACHES 'A MILESTONE' OVERNIGHT [DETAILS]

Hillary Clinton laid claim to the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, making a full pivot to a nasty general-election fight against Donald Trump as she prevailed in a vigorously contested primary in California against Sen. Bernie Sanders.

HOT TIRADE BETWEEN CLINTON AND SANDERS AS SANDERS SAYS CLINTON IS 'UNQUALIFIED' TO BE POTUS

Bernie Sanders (left) and Hilary Clinton (right)

Bernie Sanders on Wednesday questioned whether Democratic rival Hillary Clinton is "qualified" to be president after she spent much of the day criticizing his record and his preparedness for the job.

UNITED STATES: JEB BUSH DROPS OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE, HUMBLED AND OVERSHADOWED

Former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush dropped out of the presidential race on Saturday, February 20, ending a quest for the White House that started with a war chest of $100 million.

No single candidacy this year fell so short of its original expectations.

It began with an aura of inevitability that masked deep problems, from Mr. Bush himself, a clunky candidate in a field of gifted performers, to the rightward drift of the Republican Party since Mr. Bush’s time as a consensus conservative in Florida.

“I’m proud of the campaign that we’ve run to unify our country,” Mr. Bush said, in an emotional speech Saturday night after his third straight disappointing finish in the early voting states.

Jeb Bush, struggled through his campaign and was unable to gain traction in the race even in spite of last week’s endorsement by his brother, former president, George Bush.

After struggling in early primary states, Ohio, New Hampshire and now South Carolina, Jeb Bush clearly saw the writing on the wall.

“Tonight I am suspending my campaign,” he told a crowd of supporters.

“The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken and I really respect their decision, so tonight I am suspending my campaign.” He said.