Posted on 09/27/16
| News Source: MPR News
Donald Trump blamed the moderator, a bad microphone and anyone but himself Tuesday after he was forced onto the defense by Hillary Clinton's cascade of attacks about his taxes, honesty and character in the first presidential debate.
Trump tried aggressively to pin America's problems on Clinton at Monday night's debate. But Clinton, showing her intensive preparations, went after him as hard or harder, including sharp criticism of his business practices and crude comments about women.
She also attacked his false assertions about President Barack Obama's birthplace, calling it part of a pattern of "racist behavior." And she repeatedly criticized Trump for breaking tradition by refusing to release his tax returns, declaring, "There's something he's hiding."
Still, Trump insisted on Tuesday he'd gotten the better of Clinton, awarding her a C-plus while declining to assign himself a grade. Unsurprisingly, Clinton's aides and running mate took to television to argue she'd accomplished precisely what she'd set out to do.
Both campaigns knew the highly anticipated first debate could mark a turning point six weeks before Election Day, but it was unclear if either candidate would reap significant gains. Trump and Clinton are locked in an exceedingly close race and competing vigorously to win over undecided voters.
Clinton's preferred tactic — provoking Trump with...read more at MPR News