Hillary Clinton in Keota
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is indirectly replying to Republican Donald Trump’s vulgar reference to her 2008 loss to Barack Obama. Clinton spoke to a packed high school gym in southeast Iowa today and commiserated with a girl in the crowd who told Clinton she’s bullied.
“We need more love and kindness in our country. I think we are not treating each other with the respect and the care that we should show toward each other. That’s why it’s important to stand up to bullies wherever they are and why we shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency because that is not who we are as Americans,” Clinton said, to applause.
Trump has called upon Clinton to apologize for saying during last weekend’s debate that Trump’s comments about Muslims are being used in ISIS recruiting videos. Clinton told the crowd at the Keota high school that Trump’s remarks about Muslims are “dangerous” and “shameful”.
“It is not the kind of language somebody running to be president of the United States should be using,” Clinton said, to cheers, whistles and applause.
Trump’s rhetoric has “real consequences” according to Clinton.
“You know, people around the world pay very close attention to our elections,” Clinton said, “and if you go on Arabic television as we have and you look at what is being blasted out with video of Mr. Trump being translated into Arabic, ‘No Muslims coming into the United States,’ (and) other kinds of derogatory, defamatory statements, it is playing into the hands of the violent jihadists.”
According to Clinton, there’s nothing radical jihadists want more than to be able to claim that the United States is against Muslims and their religion. And she accused Trump of providing just that kind of fodder.
“That, then, lights an even bigger fire for them to make their propaganda claims through social media and in other ways,” Clinton said.
Clinton will make appearances in Fairfield and Bettendorf later today. Democratic rival Bernie Sanders is campaigning in northwest Iowa today.
AUDIO of Clinton’s appearance in Keota, 65:00