US presidential debate: Clinton doubts Trump ‘groping’ apology

US presidential debate: Clinton doubts Trump ‘groping’ apology

Media captionTrump v Clinton: Sex, lies and videotape

Hillary Clinton has cast doubt on Donald Trump’s apology for remarks made 11 years ago about groping women, which he has described as “locker-room talk”.

The Democratic nominee tweeted that if her Republican rival stood by this assertion he was “clearly not sorry”.

The tweet came as Mr Trump’s running mate Mike Pence said he would stand by him despite an outcry over the remarks.

In Sunday’s presidential debate Mr Trump responded to the furore, denying he had acted on his comments.

He also turned his fire on Mrs Clinton’s husband ex-President Bill Clinton, who he described as “abusive to women”, but she refused to address his comments.

A 2005 video released on Friday revealed Mr Trump describing how he had sought to have sex with a married woman and making obscene comments about women.

At least 33 senior Republicans – including senators, members of Congress, and state governors – have withdrawn their support since the video surfaced on Friday.

‘Showed his heart’

Mr Trump apologised for the remarks, and when pressed during the debate on whether he had engaged in sexual misconduct, he denied doing so.

But Mrs Clinton said his explanation that these were words not actions did not amount to an apology.

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AP

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Mr Pence had earlier described Mr Trump’s remarks as indefensible

“If Trump stands by what he said about women as “locker room talk,” he’s clearly not sorry,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile Mr Pence praised Mr Trump’s honesty.

“I think last night he showed his heart to the American people. He said he apologised to his family, apologised to the American people, that he was embarrassed by it,” he told CNN on Monday.

Earlier Mr Pence had described the remarks as indefensible.

The vice-presidential candidate said he was “honoured to stand with” Mr Trump and denied he had considered withdrawing from the race.

“It’s absolutely false to suggest that at any point in time we considered dropping off this ticket,” he said.

What were the main points of the debate?

When moderator Anderson Cooper asked about the video, Mr Trump denied ever sexually assaulting women, dismissing the remarks as “just words”. Instead he focused on Bill Clinton’s indiscretions.

Mrs Clinton said the explosive video “represents exactly who he is”.

“With prior Republican nominees, I disagreed with them,” she added, “but I never questioned their fitness to serve.”

Media captionThe BBC joins a family of Donald Trump supporters as they watch the debate

Mr Trump said if he won, he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Mrs Clinton and she would be in prison over her private email arrangements.

“Everything he just said is absolutely false but I’m not surprised,” she responded. “It’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.”

“Because you’d be in jail,” he interrupted.

Mr Trump also said his Democratic rival “has tremendous hate in her heart” while criticising her for referring to his supporters as “deplorables”.

Mrs Clinton said she apologised for the comment, adding: “My argument is not with his supporters, it’s with him, about the hateful and divisive campaign he has run.”

The two also sparred on the conflict in Syria, Russian aggression, Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns and his plan for the “extreme vetting” of immigrants arriving from countries with links to terrorism.

Media captionUS election: Trump attacks Bill Clinton
Media captionMrs Clinton: ‘We have seen him insult women, rate women on their appearance’

The evening concluded when an audience member asked the candidates to say one positive thing about each other.

Mrs Clinton said his children were a great reflection of him while Mr Trump called his opponent “a fighter” who never gives up.

An hour before the debate began, Mr Trump appeared at a news conference with women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct.

He joined three women who allege the former president sexually assaulted them and called the women “very courageous”.

Which Republicans have deserted Trump?

Could Republicans still dump Trump?

What else came up?

  • Mr Trump said he had not paid federal income tax in 18 years because he knew the tax code well
  • He constantly complained to the moderators that he was not getting fair treatment
  • On Syria, Mrs Clinton said she would not advocate the use of US ground forces
  • She promised that no-one making less than $250,000 would pay higher taxes but richer people would
  • Mr Trump also admitted he and running mate Mike Pence disagreed about use of force in Syria
  • But he refused to answer when moderator Martha Raddatz pressed him for a military strategy

Mrs Clinton also defended controversial remarks she made in a private speech that was made public in leaked emails on Saturday.

The transcript revealed she said a politician has a public and private position, but at the debate she said she had watched a film about Abraham Lincoln and was referring only to what he had done.

Clinton’s Wall Street speeches leaked


So who are the women?

Mr Trump appeared with Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee who settled a sexual harassment suit against Mr Clinton for $850,000 in 1999 with no admission of guilt.

Juanita Broaddrick, who claimed Mr Clinton raped her in a hotel room in 1978, also appeared with Mr Trump.

Mr Clinton has denied the claim through his lawyer and no charges have ever been brought against him.

The third woman was Kathleen Willey, a former White House aide who said Mr Clinton groped her in his office in 1993, but had previously said it never happened.

Mr Clinton has also denied this claim.

Katty Kay: Hillary’s campaign and Bill’s women

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AP

Image caption

Donald Trump, centre, sits with, from right, Paula Jones, Kathy Shelton, Juanita Broaddrick, and Kathleen Willey

Kathy Shelton, a fourth woman who spoke, encountered Mrs Clinton in a criminal case when she was 12 years old.

Early in Mrs Clinton’s legal career, she was appointed to defend Ms Shelton’s rapist, despite objections, and had his sentence reduced to a lesser charge.

Years later, an audio tape emerged of Mrs Clinton speaking with a reporter, in which she can be heard laughing about the case.

During one instance, she laughed after explaining that her client had passed a lie detector test, which convinced her to never trust them again.

Who is ahead in the polls?

Headshot of Hillary Clinton

48%

Hillary Clinton

Headshot of Donald Trump

44%

Donald Trump


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