Hillary Clinton took questions at a news conference on an airport tarmac in New York on Thursday, one night after a presidential forum on national security issues.

Here are the highlights:

• In an opening statement, Mrs. Clinton said that Donald J. Trump had “bizarrely” praised President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at the forum on Wednesday, when he suggested that he preferred Mr. Putin’s leadership qualities to those of President Obama. “That is not just unpatriotic and insulting to the people of our country, as well as to our commander in chief, it is scary,” she said.

• Asked why she is not “running away” with an election against someone viewed so unfavorably, Mrs. Clinton said she had always expected a close race. “I feel we’re in a strong position,” she said, adding that she was taking nothing for granted.

• Responding to the suggestion from some Republicans that she had not smiled enough at the forum, Mrs. Clinton said she was “talking about serious issues last night.” Asked if she was held to a double standard because she is a woman, she said: “I’m going to let all of you ponder that last question. I think there will be a lot of Ph.D. theses and popular journalism writing on that subject for years to come.”