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AFTER A NIGHTMARE few days for the Trump campaign following the emergence of those ‘hot mic’ groping comments, it was no surprise that last night’s debate turned out to be an ill-tempered affair.
The Republican lashed out like a wounded animal early in the encounter – launching a blistering attack on Democrat Hillary Clinton and her husband, the former President.
“There’s never been anybody in the history of politics that has been so abusive to women,” Trump claimed, referring to Bill.
The two hadn’t shaken hands when they took to the stage in St Louis – setting the tone for what was a scrappy, bitter debate.
Which is why Donald Trump’s answer to one of the lighter questions of the night – the final one asked, in fact – surprised many viewers.
In spite of referring to her minutes earlier as “the Devil” and saying she had “tremendous hate in her heart”, he gave the following response when asked by an audience member to name one thing he respected about his opponent:
“I will say this about Hillary – she doesn’t quit,”
She doesn’t give up. I respect that. I tell it like it is. She’s a fighter. I disagree with much of what she’s fighting for. I disagree with her judgment in many cases. But she does fight hard and she doesn’t quit and she doesn’t give up and I consider that to be a very good trait.
The businessman’s response followed Clinton’s answer to the same question, in which she said she respected Trump’s children, who were watching from the audience.
His children are incredibly able and devoted, and I think that says a lot about Donald.
Surprisingly classy
The comments from Trump surprised many watching:
After all (direct accusations of being the actual Devil aside) the following quotes are more reflective of the the sort of thing he’s been saying about the Democrat in the last few months:
“Totally flawed.”
“ONE-HUNDRED-PER-CENT CONTROLLED.”
“No emotion.”
“Made a speech today using the biggest teleprompter I have ever seen.”
But, as we’re now well aware, Trump has been saying things (things about business, things about entertainment, inappropriate things, off-the-cuff things) for decades. On radio. On TV. Wherever he’s given the opportunity, essentially.
The property developer was a Democrat himself for years (he changed affiliation five times since registering as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987) so it’s hardly surprising that, during that time, he happened to say a few nice things about Bill and Hillary Clinton.
For example, back in 2008, during primary season, he said she’d make a very good president:
For his part, Obama said he’s just focused on winning the nomination although at least one member on his team said Clinton would make a good vice president. Well, I know her and she’d make a good president or good vice president.
He added:
A lot of people think a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton pairing would be a dream ticket in November, but for that to happen one of them has to be willing to serve as number two. Until that time, it’s going to be very interesting.
A year previously he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that Clinton was “very talented” and had a husband “that I like very much”.
And in his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, Trump including a picture of Hillary with him and his sons. The caption describes her as “a wonderful woman who has handled pressure incredibly well”.
In the 2000s, Trump donated $4,100 to Clinton’s campaign for the Senate, according to Politifact. He also gave more than $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
The wedding
If should be stated, though, the relationship hasn’t all been one way traffic.
Hillary and Bill were guests at Trump’s third marriage – to Melania – in Palm Beach, Florida in January 2005.
“I didn’t know him that well,” Clinton has said about their relationship more recently.
I thought it would be fun to go to his wedding because it’s always entertaining. Now that he’s running for president, it’s a little more troubling.
Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump, who are close in age and live near each other in New York, have also been friends.
‘Occasionally right’
A few months ago, the Clinton campaign put together a new web ad highlighting the various times Trump has praised the Democratic nominee.
“Donald Trump: occasionally right,” the tagline at the end reads.
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A beautiful place. Hopefully fire is put out soon.
@Celtic_Horizon: now that is one of the more stupid comments I’ve read on this site
@Nick O Donovan: You’re not aware then that these fires at this time of year all over Ireland are widely believed to be started deliberately by land owners to create grazing? That is that scandal. The fires are illegal, not lease because it’s the nesting season. They kill a host of wildlife and plans in our beautiful countryside.
@Nick O Donovan: you mustbe a farmer
@Little Diddy No: not disputing that in anyway. I’m disputing the ignorance of the initial comment
@Nick O Donovan: That a farmer is suspected?
@Andy K: you’re right, it is reasonable to suspect a farmer. However it’s also reasonable to suspect a hiker dropping a fag butt or starting a camp fire or even someone illegally dumping rubbish and lighting fire to it. What you don’t see is me wishing that their property is burnt down by that fire which is what I took issue with in the first place. Don’t get me wrong though it’s nothing short of a disaster and is heartbreaking that such beauty has been destroyed
@Nick O Donovan: or a broken bottle acting as a lens
@Celtic_Horizon: What about an uneducated Hill walker, an uneducated tourist or an uneducated person like you?
What an absolutely stupid and discriminatory comment.
And BTW, I am not a farmer.
The flames came close to a farmhouse? Now that would be poetic justice.
@Dave Hogan:
Not if it wasn’t that farmer that lit it!
@Avina Laaf: it’s always the farmer. Who else lights gorse fires up and down the country?
@Sean: man with van collecting household rubbish tipping it in to bogs and forestry’s and then burning it, not always the farmer Sean
@Sean:
There’s more than one farmer living in an area as large as that affected by an out of control gorse fire.
@Avina Laaf: There actually isn’t ! The farmhouse mentioned is down by the lakeshore. Up the mountainside, in the direction of the Kerry borders it’s largely scrubland and very remote Very little farming activity whatsoever, even the sheep have a hard time surviving up there.
@Barty: Gorse fire isnt enough to burn all traces of household waste. And the chances of that are lower.
@Martin Fahy:
So are you saying nobody has sheep up there and this was an ‘accidental’ fire??
@Avina Laaf: Did I say that ? No I didn’t. i know the area very well and I think it’s highly unlikely the fire was started by a farmer or farmers to reclaim land by burning horse because 1) The area is so remote where the fire started, even rescue services have problems accessing much of the terrain 2) There is nobody farming farming the land up those mountains other than grazing sheep 3) Much of the land is state owned.
@Martin Fahy: ….burning gorse….
@Martin Fahy:
1) Look at the photographs – the burning isn’t in a particularly remote area. Even the hotel was under threat according to the owners.
2) Bingo – the whole point of burning from a farmer’s point of view is to improve grazing for sheep in marginal mountain areas.
3) Killarney National Park is entirely state owned but nevertheless has been subjected to numerous deliberately set fires, surprise surprise in the areas where trespassing sheep are also a common problem.
Just out of interest, who do you think lit the fire?
@Avina Laaf:
Photographs can be very deceiving. If a long lens is used then everything looks like it is on the same plane. The fire on top of the mountain you see in the photos are probably a few miles away from the hotel.
Thank you I F A , guardians of the countryside.
That’s a serious fire hopefully nobody gets hurt. Farmers here in the Wicklow uplands normally concentrate on using gorse fires to obliterate the national park (ah, grazing ‘rights’) and it’s wildlife not each other.
what farmers fail to realise is that they are compunding the problem as bus fire increase germination rates of gorse, fuppin dopes
Vandalism but no will to prosecute
@Irish Cottage Rental: that’s exactly what it is….an effin disgrace
Just further proof that farmers are literally the most ignorant people you will ever come across. They literally don’t care as along as their land not impacted
@Brian: Why are you assuming that a farmer started this ? The valley and the surrounding area stretching up to the Kerry border is some of the most inhospitable and remote countryside in Ireland, with very little arable land. Much of the area affected is owned by the State. There are very few farms in the area.
@Brian: Seems to be the word on the ground that these fires, specifically at this time of year (coincidence?) are started by farmers to create land for grazing. A scandal.
@Martin Fahy:
With respect, you seem a bit clueless on this. The presence or otherwise of arable land has absolutely nothing to do with this.
@Brian: That’s a dreadful statement. It’s the kind of statement only ignorant people would use.
Love how all the people who know nothing about farming are blaming farmers for this, I very much much doubt that any farmer would start such a fire. They actually understand the countryside and how things work. This isn’t the Brazilian rain forest. It is far more likely that this fire was started off by either a hill walker or camper carelessly discarding a cigarettes butt, camp fire amber or even a glass bottle. Urban dwellers dumping rubbish in the countryside is a massive problem and is a far more likely cause of this fire than anything suggest.
@Anthony O Reilly: farmers burn national park every year and well outside the permitted roasting time for their own land. Anyone living near national park knows thus unless they’re a total idiot. Doesn’t mean this particular fire was started by a farmer but many are.
@Anthony O Reilly: The mindless speculation on here is ridiculous. People accusing different groups of people of starting the fires with absolutely no evidence other than their own prejudices.
Mob mentality at its worst.
What farmer will get that bill???
“He said the fire services were contacted on Saturday, but due to the remote location of the fire, it was decided that they wouldn’t call out a crew to address it immediately.” “it was decided” . It was decided by the local authority not to give the Fire Service the call out, probably hoping it would die out. When it got rightly out of control and more 999 calls probably kept coming in, they had no choice but to send the Fire Service out. All about the money. This is just my opinion
Little or no wind and fine weather during last week.
Saw hill fires on the Galtees on the way back to Cork from Dub.
Fire setting is a normal practice to clear scrub but you need to ensure it does not spread, in this case it did and little or no rainfall to keep it in check.
The Tailor and Ansty fight BAC
It’s a beautiful peaceful place. Visited there last summer. Hopefully nature takes over and it won’t be long before the blackened places are green again.
Wow… looks like California…!
@Celtic_Horizon: no matter what happened it is never acceptable to wish bad situations onto others and depending on wind direction and speed it may not have even been the farmers fault . The farmer himself may not have even been responsible at all as the fire was in an area where alot of people walk and explore . The fire could have been started by anything.
have your say