Second Debate: Donald Trump’s Camp Ready to Attack Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump and his team have come out fighting after a slew of attacks over his inappropriate remarks about women.
The Republican candidate is due to meet his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the second presidential debate tonight.
Donald Trump’s adviser Rudy Giuliani said the Republican may well bring up Hillary Clinton’s alleged role in discrediting women who accused her husband Bill of abuse.
A 2005 recording of Donald Trump reveals him bragging about groping women.
Image source Wikimedia
At least 33 senior Republicans – including senators, members of Congress, and state governors – have withdrawn their support since the video surfaced on October 7.
Donald Trump tweeted a link to a video in which a woman accuses former president Bill Clinton of rape in 1978 while he was attorney general of Arkansas.
Hillary Clinton denied her claims of rape when they first emerged in 1999.
Some Republicans are calling for Donald Trump to quit the presidential race.
Utah Senator Mike Lee said the Republican Party had to find another candidate or it would not win the White House.
He told NBC’s Meet the Press: “We’ve got candidates who can do it. There’s still time to do it, but we have to actually do it.”
Donald Trump, who gave a video apology over the 2005 recording, has said there is “zero chance I’ll quit”.
Most Republican voters would appear to support his stance. In the first poll since the release of the tape, by Politico/Morning Consult, some 74% of Republican voters believe the party should continue to support Donald Trump.
A number of Donald Trumps supporters booed a party unity rally in Wisconsin on October 8, given by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Paul Ryan disinvited Donald Trump to attend the event after the tape revelations.
In his video apology, Donald Trump gave a hint that he would bring up more lurid allegations in Sunday’s debate saying: “Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary Clinton has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims. We will discuss this more in the coming days.”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told media that Donald Trump would not hesitate to describe Hillary Clinton’s abuse in criminal terms.
“The reality is that… this is a situation in which neither side should throw stones because both sides have sinned,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press.
Hillary Clinton’s camp has not responded to the allegations, but her campaign chairman John Podesta called Donald Trump “disgusting” when asked for his response to the tape revelations.
“This is who this guy is,” he said.
It could be risky for Donald Trump to refer to Bill Clinton’s infidelities. According to the New York Times, polling suggests a majority of voters are not interested in revisiting stories about Bill Clinton’s behavior.