Second duel on TV. Trump: "I'll send you to jail". Clinton: "Russia wants Donald"
In Saint Louis (Missouri) the second debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton takes place. The republican on sexist phrases: "Just a chat between men, I already apologized." Hillary adds to the dose: "Humiliate women and not just them". Then on taxes, health care, Syria and relations with Russia the clash is total
When the two candidates arrive in the auditorium of George Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri) the climate is tense. You can tell from a detail: they don't even shake hands, just a shy greeting with the head and a sketchy smile. What follows is a very intense debate, with very hard exchanges of accusations and tight questions. It is not only the two moderators who offer them, but also the public, as foreseen by the debate formula (town hall). And it is precisely a question from the public to perform the "miracle". We are at the end of the debate, for an hour and a half Hillary and Trump have given themselves a good reason. A citizen takes the floor and asks the two candidates what they respect for each other.
The tension unexpectedly melts away. The first to answer is Hillary Clinton: "I respect her children, who are incredibly capable and devoted. As a mother and grandmother I consider this a very important thing. I believe this election has become so intense and conflicting - she added - because the stakes are high ". Donald Trump appreciates his rival's response, and after reiterating his esteem for his children, he doesn't want to be outdone in cuteness: "She never gives up (Hillary, ed). She's a fight. I don't share her judgments but she she is a combative ". Only the final wording of the fairy tales is missing: "... and everyone lived happily ever after". Both appear sincere, almost good friends. Yet, until a few minutes earlier, the clash was total. Taxes, economy, health, immigration, relations with Islam, war in Syria, Russia. There is no issue on which there is agreement between Hillary and Donald. Wall to wall on everything. Two different visions of America and two very distant recipes. The clash is strong, raw, passionate. The last word is up to the Americans on 8 November. Beyond what the polls say and will say in the coming days, in this scarce month that separates us from the vote, anything can still happen.
"Believe me - said Trump towards the end of the debate - you have a lot of hatred in your heart". He attacks her so harshly because she has offended her supporters in some statements. Then he reiterates: "We have a divided nation and we cannot afford another 4 years of Barack Obama. That's what you would have with her" as president. Shortly before, Hillary, responding to a specific question from the moderator, had tried to explain that she is not angry with the tycoon's voters but with Trump himself. In another very heated passage of the confrontation Trump has made it clear that if he were to make the laws "Hillary would be in jail". He was referring to the private email server scandal Clinton used when she was secretary of state. According to Trump, "it is unthinkable that the 30,000 deleted emails" from Hillary concerned the marriage of her daughter Chelsea. She ironically replied to the number: "In reality there were 35 thousand". Then he admitted that he made a mistake and that if he came back he wouldn't do it again. But, he assured, "it has never been proven that anyone got hold of those emails by accessing my server".
One of the points on which Hillary tried to nail Trump was, on foreign policy and, in particular, on relations with Moscow. "The Russians want Republican candidate Donald Trump to become president of the United States." Never before did an opponent go to such lengths to influence the election outcome. And believe me, they are not trying to get me elected ", laughed Hillary, commenting on the statements of the American intelligence agencies that accused the Russians of being behind the hacker attacks launched against political institutions with stars and stripes. The reply of the republican candidate is ready. : "I don't know anything about Russia, that is, I know Russia but I don't have loans from Russia." And again: "I don't know Russian President Vladimir Putin but it would be good to get along with Russia". "destroy ISIS".
But let's get to perhaps the most awaited theme of the evening, in America and beyond. How did Trump react to the accusations of sexism and vulgarity for the video, dating back to 2005, published by the Washington Post a few days ago? It was just locker room chatter. I am not proud of it and apologized. Just a conversation between men ... I want to defeat Isis and make our country great again. Nobody has more respect than me than women. I'm going to make America safer, I'm going to make it safer and richer. "He admits he was wrong, Donald, but at the same time, a little awkwardly, he tries to put the conversation back on other issues. to nail him: "I disagreed with the other Republican candidates, but with Donald the speech is different. As I have already said, he is not fit to be president. We have seen how he treats and humiliates women. The question is: can someone like this represent us? America is already great (angrily replies to Trump's well-known slogan, "Let's make America great"). We will work together and we will respect each other. "He replies:" Just words, he has never done anything concrete. "And he adds to the dose, pointing the finger (as he had promised to do) against Hillary's husband:" what Bill Clinton did ... he abused some women and Hillary attacked them when they reported the facts. What President Clinton did led to impeachment. It's shameful that Hillary uses this argument. "The confrontation is bitter. The cameras for a few moments frame Bill Clinton, sitting in the audience next to his daughter Chelsea and son-in-law. He's very serious. Hillary, at that point, raises." Michelle Obama advised me to do: if they shoot low you fly even higher ". But he continues pointing the finger at Donald:" He never apologized, not only to women. He did not apologize to the parents of the soldier who died in Iraq, whom he offended this summer. He did not apologize to the judge who attacked because he was Mexican (Gonzalo Curiel, ed). He did not apologize to Obama who accused him of not being American ... ". Trump's reply is ready:" It is you who must apologize for the emails deleted from the server. "And on Obama he points out:" To bring out the doubts on the birthplace and origins was Hillary's staff. "
On the email scandal Hillary feels the blow, but it is a theme that she tries to dismantle by recognizing the mistake: "There was a mistake and love I take all responsibility. It was a mistake and I'm sorry. But - she points out - after a year from investigations there is no evidence that anyone has entered my server, stealing that information. I take secret information very seriously. "
Another issue of strong conflict between the two candidates, raised by the question of a citizen, is the health reform. What will change? will it be (really) accessible to all? Clinton replies by saying that he has some solutions in mind to improve a system, that of Obamacare, which presents problems (high costs) but, nevertheless, has the merit of having extended health coverage to twenty million people who were without it. . Trump replies: "Obamacare is a disaster. We want to repeal this system which is too expensive and prevents insurance companies from competing with each other." Hillary insists: "Let's fix what's wrong but don't throw it all away." The republican, pressed by the moderator, mentions his idea of reform: "If we create strong competition, we keep the positive aspects and block the increase in premiums, thus managing to take care of those who do not have the means to pay for health coverage. ".
Wikileaks chapter. Hillary is asked whether it is acceptable for a candidate to have two faces, one public and one private: the reference is to an e-mail made known by the Assange network, from which it appears that the former secretary of state pretends to be close to the emdia class but actually feel closer to the bankers. She responded by trying to put it in context: "I was speaking after seeing the Abraham Lincoln movie. I stressed how difficult it is for a president to get Congress to his side." But then Hillary denounced Russia's interference in the American elections: "Our intelligence said that the Kremlin has carried out attacks to try to influence our elections. They try to help Trump. Because, otherwise, they won't bring out his too. tax returns? ".. The Republican's reply is ready:" He only tells lies ... with Putin we can fight Isis. I have not received any money from Russia ". And on taxes: "I pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. When the control by the revenue agency is over, I will publish the documents."
At that point, the question about taxes was inevitable. Is it true or not that for several years he has not paid the federal ones? Trump admits, "Yes, sure. I did. But it was required by law. Why didn't Hillary change those laws that she now challenges, which also favor those who financed her, like Warren Buffet and George Soros?" In responding to the allegations more than once during the debate, Trump quotes Sanders. It does so to point out the differences between the ultraliberal - and anti-caste - candidate and Hillary. Then Donald remembers his tax prescription: "We want to lower taxes in favor of the middle class. Hillary instead wants to raise them. Our taxes are the highest in the world, I want to make them the lowest." Clinton replies by pointing out that his opponent's plan will guarantee huge tax cuts for large corporations and that, inevitably, this will fall on the shoulders of the middle class. We, he stresses to differentiate ourselves, "we will go and look for money from those who have more". And it indicates the threshold it intends to hit: those who earn more than $ 5 million a year.
On the war in Syria he sees Hillary Clinton is convinced of the need to arm the Kurds, "who are fighting on the ground and have already achieved great results against Isis". They are the best allies for the United States. Trump is of the opinion, however, that the war against the Islamic state cannot ignore Putin and Assad: they are fighting ISIS. When the moderator points out a stance by Mike Pence, who criticized Moscow's excessive interventionism in Syria, Trump distances himself from his deputy: "I disagree". And he points out: "I will face Putin and Russia properly. But if we can collaborate against ISIS, I am ready to do so. However, I will carry out all the investigations necessary to shed light on any war crimes". Then a jab at the Obama administration: "Russia has renewed its nuclear arsenal, but we have remained ancient". And again: "Russia has signed a peace treaty with Iran, and with Assad they are destroying Isis. Syria fights Isis, Russia is with Syria and is allied with Iran, a country made more rich and strong from the nuclear agreement wanted by Obama ".
The second face to face on TV between the two candidates running for the White House was the most tweeted debate in history. This was announced by the company that chirps, specifying that the record of 17.1 million tweets reached during the first duel, last September 26, has been exceeded. The three most tweeted moments were when Trump said he disagreed with his candidate vice president Mike Pence about policies in Syria, when he called himself a "gentleman" and when the tycoon said Hillary would be in jail under his. administration. Social networks are increasingly important in political life, but one thing is certain: in the end neither polls nor more or less "viral" discussions will count on Facebook, Twitter or other virtual places. To make the difference, as always, will be the votes. The third - and final - confrontation between Hillary Clinton and Trump is scheduled for October 19 in Las Vegas. Anything can (still) happen.
Watch the debate
