Looking back at the Clinton-Trump war of words: Neither side would back down!

(Baonghean.vn) - The two US presidential candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, held their first dramatic debate on the morning of September 27th (Vietnam time). The three topics of the debate were "The Direction of America," "How to Achieve Prosperity," and "How to Protect America."

Clinton is widely considered to have overshadowed Trump during the debate. Photo: Reuters

NBC journalist Lester Holt served as the program moderator. He also posed the questions, and each candidate had two minutes to answer without interruption.

To begin, the two candidates walked onto the stage at Hofstra University in New York and greeted each other with a handshake. They exchanged polite smiles. Immediately afterward, Clinton was designated to answer the first question after the order was determined by a coin toss.

Clinton mocked Trump for having family advantages.

The first question journalist Lester Holt posed to the two candidates was: "Why are you the better choice, capable of creating more jobs and generating more income for workers?"

Clinton opened the debate with a bright smile, saying, “Today is my second granddaughter’s birthday, and I’m thinking a lot about the future of the economy.” This was followed by the calm and composure of the former Secretary of State as she addressed a range of issues. Clinton focused on gender equality, Paid Family Leave, small businesses, and especially jobs. She asked, “Who can shoulder the enormous but wonderful task of being President? Who will be the one to translate the plan into action?”

She immediately brought up the fact that billionaire Trump had a family advantage, having received tens of millions of dollars from his father to start his business, while she herself came from a middle-class American background. Clinton sarcastically remarked, "Mr. Trump got $40 million from his father, and he really believes that the more you help the rich, the more you benefit." In response, Trump clarified, "My father lent me a small amount in 1975, and I used it to build a company. It's now worth billions of dollars."

In his two-minute presentation, candidate Trump also provided answers covering many issues. He gave the classic response about how China and Mexico have "stolen" American jobs. Clinton, on the other hand, stated, "I am the one who brings jobs to people."

One notable moment occurred during the debate when Trump deliberately referred to Clinton as the Secretary of State: “Secretary Clinton, would that be alright? Fine, I want you to have fun!” Clinton responded, “Oh, Donald is competing with Secretary Clinton. That only makes him seem smaller!” She also reminded everyone of Trump’s extensive political experience and left the audience to judge for themselves.

Trump is confused about housing, Clinton is perplexed by the TPP.

Continuing the debate, Clinton attacked Trump for his previous statements that he supported the collapse of the housing market: “Donald is one of the people who started this housing crisis.” Trump retorted, “That’s how the market works.” Clinton didn’t stop there, stating that 9 million jobs had been lost, 5 million people had lost their homes, and $13 trillion had been lost in the crisis. She also emphasized, “I’m still trying to figure out what we need to do.”

The two candidates then shifted their discussion to trade agreements, starting with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed by former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton's husband. Trump accused: "Your husband signed NAFTA, and it was the worst trade deal. And now you want to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership – TPP. It will be just as bad as NAFTA…"

Continuing on the TPP issue, Mr. Trump raised his voice and interrupted Ms. Clinton several times. He reiterated that Ms. Clinton had once considered the TPP the gold standard. In response, Ms. Clinton said, “Donald, I know you’re living in your own reality.” She also tried to explain her change of opinion on the TPP, stating that she had supported it when it was still an idea, but once the agreement was finalized, she felt it was no longer relevant and therefore opposed it.

Trump refused to back down and continued his attack: "But she doesn't have a concrete plan," and emphasized, "Voters would never elect a politician who talks a lot but does little."

The number of times the two candidates were interrupted during the debate. Graphic: Vox/VNE.

Trump concealed tax information - Clinton couldn't defeat ISIS?

The debate became dramatic, with many moments where no one was listening to the other and everyone was vying to speak. "How do you defend your position on cutting taxes for the rich?" was the next question posed.

For her part, Clinton argued that Trump was hiding something and that he was not paying taxes on the profits from his programs and projects. She also criticized him, saying, "It seems that billionaire Trump isn't as rich as he claims."

In response, Trump stated, "It's time America needed a leader who understands money." Regarding tax returns, Trump asserted that he would release his tax documents after Clinton published the contents of her personal emails. However, Clinton said, "This was just a mistake. I take responsibility for it."

"How do we stop terrorism?" was the central theme of the debate between the two candidates. Billionaire Trump questioned whether Clinton could effectively combat any terrorist groups, particularly ISIS. Trump also accused President Obama and Clinton of facilitating ISIS's growth.

Billionaire Trump blamed Clinton, claiming Libya was one of the disasters she had caused. In response, Clinton accused Trump of supporting the war in Iraq and argued that he was completely wrong to constantly criticize Muslims when unity was needed.

Clinton says Trump praised the Russian president too much.

Regarding relations with major powers, while Clinton argued that Trump had praised Russian President Vladimir Putin "too much," Trump interrupted, saying, "Wrong." However, on the issue of security and specifically a preemptive nuclear strike, Trump stated that he would certainly not pursue such a plan against Russia.

Meanwhile, Clinton asserted that Trump had never said what he would do regarding Iran: "Would he bomb Iran?" Clinton argued that Trump should have spoken about this plan as he had done with his plan to fight ISIS.

Earlier, when asked by the interviewer about shootings targeting Black people, Clinton said that it was a matter of restoring trust between the public and the police. She emphasized that while police must be equipped and use force, all actions must be within the bounds of the law. She also reiterated her commitment to taking away guns from those who need them to reduce gun violence.

Regarding President Obama's birthplace, when journalist Holt asked the question, billionaire Trump said that demanding the release of the President's birth certificate was a good thing. Meanwhile, Clinton argued that Trump was ignoring his own racist views.

Clinton greeted supporters, while Trump shook hands with moderator Lester Holt after the debate. Photo: Reuters

Trump: "Clinton's experience was too bad."

Regarding personal matters, Trump immediately focused on Clinton's "endurance," referring to her unstable health. He argued that Clinton had political experience, but that it was bad experience from the past few years. He questioned, "Do you still want to continue this policy?"

In response, Clinton said she was healthy enough to undertake frequent travel while she was Secretary of State, and also did not forget to reiterate and sarcastically remark on Trump's inappropriate comments about women. Trump repeatedly shook his head and replied, "I never said that..." He said that he had at one point considered saying bad things about Hillary but then changed his mind. He also accused Clinton of being an unsportsmanlike tactic in making such accusations against him.

After 90 minutes, the first dramatic debate between the two candidates concluded. Clinton and Trump walked off the stage with their families. While Clinton and her husband, former President Bill, went down to shake hands and greet supporters, billionaire Trump and his wife walked straight across the stage, merely waving.

The next two televised debates between the two candidates will take place on October 9th and October 19th.

Khang Duy

(According to CNN and Reuters)