Clinton invokes Ronald Reagan in attacking Trump as Paul Ryan distances himself from Republican nominee’s comments made during forum on Thursday

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Hillary Clinton on Thursday derided Donald Trump’s praise of Vladimir Putin as “unpatriotic” and “scary” and suggested the Republican nominee’s coziness with the Russian president could represent a threat to national security.

For Clinton, a skirmish with history. From Trump, an ambush of the facts Read more

In a press conference at an airport in Westchester, New York, her first such formal event in 278 days, Clinton discussed Trump’s remarks at a “commander-in-chief forum” hosted by NBC and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America in New York on Wednesday night, in which the nominees drew sharp contrasts on foreign policy and national security in back-to-back appearances that previewed their first debate later this month.

“Bizarrely, once again he praised Russia’s strongman Vladimir Putin – even taking the astonishing step of suggesting that he prefers the Russian president to our American president,” Clinton said on the airport tarmac, in front of her campaign plane. “Now, that is not just unpatriotic and insulting to the people of our country as well as to our commander-in-chief – it is scary.”



On Wednesday night, Trump insisted his praise for Putin was deserved because the Russian president has an “82% approval rating”.

“I think when he calls me brilliant, I’ll take the compliment, OK?” Trump said.

Clinton attacks Trump for praise of Putin: 'It is scary' – campaign live Read more

Trump has exchanged compliments with Putin, though critics have said Russia is meddling in the US election in order to tip the scales in Trump’s favor. Until recently, Trump’s campaign was run by Paul Manafort, who previously worked in Ukraine on behalf of a pro-Russia candidate.

Clinton and her campaign have suggested Russia is using cyber-attacks to meddle in the US election, after a hack of the Democratic National Committee led to the resignation of the DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, just before the party’s convention in Philadelphia in July. Trump has downplayed the severity of the intrusion and even invited – sarcastically, he claimed – Russia to hack Clinton’s own emails.

On Thursday, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, distanced himself from Trump’s remarks, accusing Putin of conducting state-sponsored cyber-attacks “on what appears to be [the US] political system”.

“Vladimir Putin is an aggressor who does not share our interests,” Ryan told reporters at a press conference in Washington. “Vladimir Putin is violating the sovereignty of neighboring countries. He is acting like an adversary.”

Ryan, who has endorsed Trump, grew frustrated by questions about the Republican nominee’s remarks. He did not watch the forum event, he said, and did not wish to respond to every comment Trump makes.

“I’m not going to stand up here and do a tit-for-tat on what Donald said last night,” Ryan said.

In New York, Clinton also criticized Trump’s remarks about US generals, who he said had been “reduced to rubble” under the leadership of President Obama, to a degree that is “embarrassing for our country”.

“What would Ronald Reagan say about a Republican nominee who attacks America’s generals and heaps praise on Russia’s president?” Clinton said. “I think we know the answer.”

Clinton challenged Republicans to denounce Trump’s comments. “Every Republican holding or seeking office in this country should be asked if they agree with Donald Trump about these statements,” she said.



In the forum, Clinton and Trump diverged on whether the US should deploy ground troops to Iraq. Clinton restated her opposition to sending a contingent of troops into Syria and said she would not deploy ground troops to Iraq “ever again”. Trump disagreed.

“We would leave a certain group behind and they would take the various sections where they have the oil,” he said, regarding a policy apparently meant to prevent terror groups such as Islamic State from gaining command of such a vital resource.

On Thursday, Clinton denounced this approach. “The United States of America does not invade other countries to plunder and pillage,” she said. “We don’t send our brave men and women around the world to steal oil.

“And that’s not even getting into the absurdity of what it would involve – massive infrastructure, large numbers of troops, many years on the ground. Of course, Trump hasn’t thought through any of that.”

After the press conference, Clinton departed for Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was due to hold a rally on Thursday afternoon.