Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump strode out cloaked in icy politeness. Yet within minutes their debate degenerated into bickering, insults and diatribes — a gladiatorial contest of modern times.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump strode out cloaked in icy politeness. Yet within minutes their debate degenerated into bickering, insults and diatribes — a gladiatorial contest of modern times.
It was a 90-minute battle of endurance between two of the most famous people in America: Ms Clinton, cool, calm and collected, almost serene as she smiled through the insults — and landed jabs of her own — while Mr Trump gripped his podium, insisting he alone had the temperament to be commander-in-chief.
The Democrat Clinton projected steady experience. She proved her worth as the mistress of policy minutiae, pitching herself as the voice of reason, the former secretary of state who understands the world.
Mr Trump played the populist bruiser, wielding the cutting insult and pitching to frustrated voters in the swing-state rust-belt, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, fed up with politicians and wanting change.
Both elicited laughter and cheers: Ms Clinton for lofty comebacks.
Mr Trump for his quick digs but also for his outlandish claims. Yet if they were evenly matched at first, Mr Trump appeared to get more irritated and riled, at one point rolling his eyes, trashing her stamina and emitting an frustrated “ugh”.
“Donald, it’s good to be with you,” said Ms Clinton as the cameras panned to the weakest of smiles in response from the Manhattan billionaire. Yet in minutes, Ms Clinton took the first thinly veiled swipe, jabbing her opponent over taking a handout from his wealthy father before they came to blows over the economy, race, foreign policy and temperament.
It was sometimes less two Presidential candidates slogging it out for the most powerful elected office and more toddlers bickering in the nursery.
“Donald thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese,” said Ms Clinton. “I do not, I do not,” he protested. “Donald, I know you live in your own reality,” swiped Ms Clinton. “Secretary — you have no plan,” hectored Mr Trump. The debate ended with a question over whether each would accept the outcome of the election. “If she wins, I will absolutely support her,” said Mr Trump. Trump sniffles online rage Donald Trump’s case of the sniffles during Monday night’s Presidential debate with Hillary Clinton has gone viral on social media, spawning jokes and ironic asides about a candidate who has made his opponent’s health an issue.
Hashtags like #Sniffles, #TrumpSniffles and #Trumpsniffing proliferated after the Republican sniffled repeatedly in the opening minutes of the widely watched match-up.
Comedian Stephen Colbert joked that Trump “sounded like he was fighting off a cold with cocaine.” Ms Clinton’s debate comment about her opponent’s “Trumped-up trickle down” positions was immediately linked to his runny nose.
Others asked about Mr Trump’s health. “Sounds like pneumonia to me,” tweeted former Democratic congressman John Dingell.
Pneumonia knocked Clinton off the campaign for a few days trail earlier this month, after Mr Trump had repeatedly raised questions about her health and stamina.
Clinton’s name misspelled The first Presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump may be one of the most hyped events in US politics, but the hosts managed overlook one small detail.
The name of the Democratic nominee, the first woman in American history to win a major party nomination for President, was misspelled on souvenir tickets handed out to students at Hofstra University. The tickets given to 350 students who won coveted seats in a lottery to attend the debate misspelled Clinton’s first name — “Hilary” — TV networks NBC and CBS reported.
